National honours for University of Adelaide community members

Professor Peter Høj­ AC, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Adelaide acknowledged the recipients’ achievements.

“I would like to congratulate all of the members of the University of Adelaide community who have received this prestigious national recognition for their exceptional work,” he said.

“The University of Adelaide is incredibly proud of our inspiring and diverse community. Our success is driven by our talented people, and we thank them for their remarkable contributions by addressing real-world challenges and delivering positive impacts.”

More than 20 members of the University’s community received honours this year, including:

Officer of the Order of Australia (AO):

Professor Sarah Robertson AO – For distinguished service to medical research, particularly reproductive biology and immunology and to professional societies.

Professor Robertson’s career spans more than 30 years which she has devoted to biomedical research and the higher education industry, including authoring more than 230 peer-reviewed scientific journal papers. She is a Professor of Reproductive Immunology and is recognised internationally for her innovative research in reproductive health, infertility and pregnancy. From 2013-2021, Professor Robertson was the Director of the University’s Robinson Research Institute, which comprehensively addresses how to give all children a healthy start in life. She has served in numerous professional roles for national and international bodies, including the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

In addition to a suite of awards during her career, most recently Professor Robertson has been awarded the American Society for Reproductive Immunology’s AJRI Award, the Distinguished Scientist Award from the US Society for Reproductive Investigation and the Mentor Award (Asia-Pacific Region) from the International Society for Immunology of Reproduction, where she has been a council member since 2019.

From the University of Adelaide’s wider community, the following people are among those who received AOs:

Mr Bruce Carter AO - For distinguished service to business, to charitable organisations, and to the community.

Mr Carter is a prominent South Australian businessman and graduated with a Bachelor of Economics from the University. He has served in numerous roles with the state government and in the private sector and has a long involvement with the National Heart Foundation of Australia. He is the Director and Chair of the Australian Submarine Corporation.

The Honourable Justice Jenny Blokland AO - For distinguished service to the judiciary, to the law, to professional associations, and to the community.

Justice Blokland is a Judge of the Supreme Court in the Northern Territory and holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws (General Studies) from the University. She has been the President of the Australian Institute of Judicial Administration since 2021. She has authored legal texts as well as numerous journal articles and papers.

“The University of Adelaide is incredibly proud of our inspiring and diverse community. Our success is driven by our talented people, and we thank them for their remarkable contributions by addressing real-world challenges and delivering positive impacts.”Professor Peter Høj­ AC, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Adelaide

Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)

Dr Barry Elsey OAM - For service to tertiary education.

Dr Elsey is from the University of Adelaide’s Adelaide Business School and has more than 45 years’ experience in adult learning and education. He was also a Senior Research Adviser at the University’s Entrepreneurship Commercialisation and Innovation Centre from 2009-2020. During his time at the Adelaide Business School, Dr Elsey helped more than 80 PhD students complete their studies and mentored many MBA students during their research projects.

Public Service Medal (PSM)

Professor Robert Fitridge PSM- For outstanding public service in the provision of vascular surgery and high-quality care for patients in public hospitals.

Professor Fitridge has been a vascular surgeon for 30 years, and Professor of Vascular Surgery at the University of Adelaide since 2010. His outstanding career of professional leadership includes several chair positions of medical boards and he was also president of the World Federation of Vascular Societies.

Professor Fitridge is a senior editor for the medical text Mechanisms of Vascular Disease and leads the surgical education for the next generation of vascular specialists in Australia.

The full list of members of the University of Adelaide community in the 2024 Australia Day Honours is available here