University of Adelaide titleholder and alum Dr Trudy Lin says she is incredibly humbled and honoured to be invited to pay her respects to Queen Elizabeth II.
University of Adelaide titleholder and alum Dr Trudy Lin says she is incredibly humbled and honoured to be invited to pay her respects to Queen Elizabeth II.
Dr Lin was one of only 10 Australians chosen to travel with the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and Governor General, David Hurley, to London for Her Majesty’s funeral on Monday, 19 September.
Dr Lin was named South Australia’s 2022 Young Australian of the Year for her work in special needs dentistry.
She was initially stunned when contacted by the Prime Minister’s Office.
“I was in disbelief to begin with, followed by this incredible feeling of being very honoured and humbled when it started to process,” Dr Lin said.
“I am still in that processing phase at the moment.
“I hope the focus is not so much on me as an individual, but me as a representative of all the other specialists and special needs dentistry in Australia, who work for the same cause and have their hearts wanting to create more equitable access to inclusion for the most vulnerable people in our community.”
“TRUDY IS NOW APPLYING HER CRAFT HERE, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE DENTAL FACILITY, WHICH IS NATION LEADING IN ITS OWN RIGHT, AND IT’S A FACILITY THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF.”
-Premier of South Australia, Peter Malinauskas
Dr Lin is a consultant at the Special Needs Unit of the Adelaide Dental Hospital, and is an Honorary Senior Clinical lecturer at the University of Adelaide.
She also completed a Bachelor of Dental Surgery, Dentistry at the University of Adelaide (2010-2014), followed by a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry, Special Needs Dentistry (2018-2020).
Premier of South Australia Peter Malinauskas said Dr Lin had an extraordinary record in making a substantial contribution to people with special needs in oral and dental care.
“Trudy’s speciality of addressing oral health and dental care for people with special needs has truly been nation leading,” Premier Malinauskas said.
“Her research has helped underpin better outcomes for people with special needs, whether it be cancer or a disability in terms of their oral care.
“Trudy is now applying her craft here, at the University of Adelaide dental facility, which is nation leading in its own right, and it’s a facility that we can all be proud of.
“We are very proud of the fact that Trudy will be representing our nation, but also our state.
“Trudy’s contribution to the needs of others speaks to who we are as a people, which makes her presence at such an event worthy of applause and recognition.”
Dr Lin will fly to Sydney on Thursday where she will meet the Prime Minister along with the nine other “everyday” Australians who have been invited to attend.
