South Australian of the year awards

University of Adelaide staff and graduates have received five of the prestigious 2009 South Australian of the Year Awards, including the two top awards.

Associate Professor Bill Griggs AM ASM has been announced as the 2009 recipient of the prestigious South Australian of the Year Award.

Dr Griggs is an Associate Professor in the University of Adelaide's Discipline of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care (School of Medicine) and is Director of Trauma Services at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH).

Dr Griggs graduated in medicine from the University of Adelaide in 1981. He joined the consultant staff of the RAH and assumed his current position as the Director of Trauma Services in 1995.

He has a strong interest in safety and injury prevention and is the founder of the Roads2Survival community road safety program. He is the State Controller (Health and Medical) for disasters within SA Health.

He is perhaps best known for his work in disasters, having been deployed to manage evacuations and victim care for the Bali bombings, the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and most recently, has headed up the medical team in the Samoan disaster.

Dr Griggs has completed hundreds of aeromedical retrievals within the State and has been instrumental in the establishment of MedSTAR - South Australia's new retrieval service - where he is the Director of Retrieval Coordination.

Dr Griggs was recently recognised with an Ambulance Service Medal in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003 for services to medicine, particularly in trauma, emergency and intensive care management and education.

The author of more than 60 publications, he has lectured widely and is an Associate Professor at both the University of Adelaide and James Cook University.

He has recently completed a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Adelaide.

The South Australian of the Year Awards are run by Advantage SA and supported by the Government of South Australia.

The University of Adelaide's Professor Robert Norman has been named the winner in both the Health and Science categories of the 2009 South Australian of the Year Awards.

Professor Norman, a world-renowned reproductive health expert, is a Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Adelaide and is the Director of the University's Robinson Institute.

He specialises in clinical management of infertility and reproductive endocrinology conditions such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), lack of ovulation, hormonally caused menstrual period problems and menopause. Professor Norman is one of the world's experts on the management of infertility using innovative IVF techniques.

Earlier this year, he was named the 2009 South Australian Science Excellence Awards Scientist of the Year, and in 2007 he was named one of 10 of the Best Minds in Australian Research.

The Robinson Institute, which consists of more than 200 researchers and many students, specialises in reproductive health and regenerative medicine.

The citations for Professor Norman's South Australian of the Year Health and Science Awards said he was recognised for his "outstanding contribution to reproductive health and regenerative medicine".

"Professor Norman promotes internationally competitive research in reproduction that is equal to any research currently being conducted around the world."

Advantage SA (formerly known as SA Great) CEO Nikki Seymour-Smith said Professor Norman's work was at the forefront of international reproductive research.

"Professor Norman is a truly deserving recipient [of these awards]. He is an international expert in various areas relating to reproductive health and infertility.

"It is extremely pleasing that such world-class research is being undertaken right here in South Australia," she said.

University of Adelaide engineering graduate Julian O'Shea has been named Young South Australian of the Year.

Julian is a young leader within the engineering profession, the Australian Defence Force and the wider community as an active volunteer.

He completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Information Technology & Telecommunications) with Honours at the University of Adelaide in 2005, followed by a Masters in Engineering Science from the Australian Defence Force Academy.

His professional expertise has seen him represent Australia at international conferences, serve as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy, and he currently represents young engineers on the national board of the College of Information, Telecommunications, and Electronics Engineering.

University of Adelaide music graduate Timothy Sexton has won the Arts category of the South Australian of the Year Awards.

Sexton, who graduated from the University of Adelaide in the 1980s with a Bachelor of Music, Honours in Composition and also a Graduate Diploma in Education, is one of South Australia's most prominent musicians.

He has worked as a freelance composer, conductor, arranger, singer, writer and adjudicator over the past 30 years.

Currently the Artistic Director/Conductor of the Adelaide Art Orchestra, he recently composed the original film score for the feature movie The Marriage of Figaro and has conducted many musicals and operas.

He has composed more than 200 works.