Uni's third consecutive Young Australian of the Year for SA

James Smith
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Friday, 2 December 2005

A University of Adelaide student has been announced as the Young Australian of the Year for South Australia for the third consecutive year.

PhD student and men's health researcher James Smith, 24, was announced as the 2006 State winner of the award at a Government House ceremony earlier this morning. He will now represent South Australia at the national finals, to be awarded in Canberra on Australia Day next year. University of Adelaide medical student Matthew Hutchinson previously won the State award in 2004 and 2005.

Trauma expert Dr Bill Griggs, who is based at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and holds the title of Clinical Senior Lecturer with the University of Adelaide's Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, this morning was also named as the South Australian winner of the Australian of the Year award.

James, who is about to start the third and final year of his PhD with the Public Health and Medicine and also works part-time at the Royal Adelaide Hospital as a Health Promotion Officer, says he was delighted to receive his award.

"It came as a surprise and I'm honoured to be recognised," he says. "I'm very appreciative of the support that the University of Adelaide as given me as a PhD candidate. I'm also thankful for the opportunity to be able to study across the two different departments of Public Health and Medicine, and for the support I've received from my supervisors, Dr Megan Warin and Dr Annette Braunack-Mayer, and Professor Gary Wittert."

For his PhD, which has received financial support from the Florey Medical Research Fund, James is researching how and why men seek help from health professionals and services. This research also forms part of the large-scale Florey Adelaide Male Ageing Study led by Professor Wittert, that focuses on the health of some 1000 men from Adelaide's northwestern suburbs.

"Basically I'm looking at why more men don't go to the doctor," he said. "It's a simple question but what I've discovered is that the answers are much more complex."

University of Adelaide Vice-Chancellor Professor James McWha congratulated James on his success.

"I am delighted for James and I am delighted that for the third consecutive year, a University of Adelaide student has been recognised in this way," Professor McWha says. "James is a leading example of the type of student the University of Adelaide produces: a student who is equipped with the skills and knowledge to make a positive impact on the world around them."

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