News in Brief

Young scientists win national awards

Two young University of Adelaide researchers have been recognised nationally, winning awards of $22,000 each for excellence in agricultural science.

The 2012 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry were presented in Canberra last month.

Dr Matthew Gilliham, Senior Research Scientist with the University's Waite Research Institute (School of Agriculture, Food and Wine) and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, won the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation Award for a project on grapevine rootstock genomics.

Robyn Terry from the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at the Roseworthy Campus won the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy Award for research balancing welfare and production needs in the pig industry.

Funding for new diabetes research

Five University of Adelaide researchers have won more than $362,000 in funding for new research projects that aim to make a difference in the fight against one of Australia's biggest health problems: diabetes.

The winning research projects will delve into critical issues relating to both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, with the outcomes of this work potentially affecting millions of Australians who suffer from diabetes or pre-diabetes.

The successful award recipients are: Professor Julie Owens; Associate Professor Leonie Hielbronn; Dr Lisa Moran (all from the Robinson Institute); Professor Jennifer Couper (Children's Research Centre); and Dr Yeesim Khew-Goodall (School of Molecular and Biomedical Science).

25 years of Aboriginal education

The University of Adelaide marked its 25th anniversary of Aboriginal education with a celebration in Hub Central on 30 March.

Professor Lester-Irabinna Rigney, Dean of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education: Wilto Yerlo, said the milestone provided an opportunity to reflect on how far the University had progressed in Indigenous education in the past quarter of a century.

Since 1987, the University has recruited increasing numbers of Indigenous people to both tertiary study and jobs within the University, introduced elements of Indigenous culture into parts of the mainstream curriculum, and forged closer ties with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

In the past 25 years, a significant number of Indigenous graduates have enjoyed national and international success in their fields, including Australia's first Indigenous Rhodes Scholar, Rebecca Richards.