The Tortuga Award originated in 2004 when Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social (MALCS) recognized the need to formally acknowledge the tremendous professional accomplishments and contributions of its members. Annually, this award is given to a MALCS member who has used her expertise, experience and commitment to support and advance the MALCS mission. The Tortuga Award is a token of appreciation for scholars and administrators who have made a difference in their respective academic and administrative fields, cleared the educational path for many women of color and gender non-conforming peoples, and whose work established and enhanced MALCS.
The award recognizes the achievements, and contributions of members of MALCS. To ensure the special quality of the award, the nominee must be a member of MALCS. Nominations can only come from MALCS members. The nomination must be limited to the nominee’s CV, a two-page letter of nomination describing how the candidate meets the criterion, and two additional letters of support written by other MALCS members. To be considered for the Tortuga Award, nominating letters should speak to these criteria: 1. A commitment to interdisciplinary Chicana, Latina, Afro-Latina, Native American and Indigenous feminist scholarship, cultural productions, and activism (belief in the scholar-activist model). 2. A member’s history of involvement and significant contribution to the MALCS organization.
| 2024 |   | Aida Hurtado Ines Hernandez-Avila |
| 2023 |   | Yvette G. Flores Sonya M. Alemán |
| 2022 |  | Martha P. Cotera |
| 2021 |  | Rita E. Urquijo-Ruiz |
| 2020 | COVID-19 | No award presented |
| 2019 |  | Seline Szkupinski Quiroga |
| 2018 | Antonia Castañeda | |
| 2017 |   | C. Alejandra Elenes |
| 2016 | Rosalía Solórzano Torres | |
| 2015 |  | Dolores Delgado-Bernal |
| 2014 |  | Josie Méndez-Negrete |
| 2013 |  | Norma Cantú |
| 2012 |  | Gloria Cuádraz |
| 2011 |  | Lupe Gallegos-Diaz |
| 2009 |  | Karen Mary Davalos |
| 2008 |  | Rusty Barcelo |
| 2007 |  | Brenda Child |
| 2006 |   | Inés Talamantez Osa Hidalgo de la Riva |
| 2005 |  | Norma Alarcón |
| 2004 |  | Ada Sosa-Ridell (inaugural recipients) |
| 2004 |  | Elisa L. Facio (inaugural recipients) |