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REGIONAL NEWS
Home > Regional News
Exercise and the fitness of the brain
12 May 2009
 Is it possible to exercise to improve thinking skills? This is being investigated by researchers at Charles Sturt University (CSU). “The high school jock stereotype is not usually associated with great intelligence, but maybe they are smarter than if they didn’t exercise,” explained Dr Matthew Thomas from the School of Social Science and Liberal Studies at CSU at Bathurst. “We know there are benefits in aspects of mental processing from a short bout of exercise and also for people who exercise over several months. What we want to test in this study is whether there is an effect on the mental performance of healthy young and middle-age adults with just four weeks of exercise.” Residents of Coffs Harbour and Bellingen in northern NSW are being invited to participate in this new study. “We’re looking for people who don’t usually exercise. Couch potatoes if you like,” said Dr Thomas. Assessments of participants’ mental processing will be conducted by local resident, Ms Jenny Grant, as part of her Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology). “It’s like having your brain fitness tested,” said Ms Grant.
Media Note: CSU Honours student Ms Jenny Grant is available for interview on 0421 523 715. Information about participating in the research is also available from Ms Jenny Grant on 0421 523 715 or send an email. Participants who complete the three assessments will receive a report on their results and a free pedometer or handheld body-fat analyser.
Print this story Plant breeding holds key to better crops
12 May 2009
It’s hoped a trip to the Philippines will contribute knowledge towards research currently underway into plant breeding for disease resistance. E H Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation research student Mr Ray Cowley will travel to the major rice producing country this Saturday 16 May to participate in a three-week workshop into the practical aspects of plant breeding at the headquarters of the International Rice Research Institute. “The challenges faced by plant breeders are common across many agricultural crops and I’m hoping to learn the practical aspects of plant breeding and genetics and how they manage the breeding and plant selection process in rice,” Mr Cowley said. “Despite focusing on lupins, the research addresses universal problems relating to breeding crops which are disease resistant.” He said the outcome of this type of research can mean the development of better plant varieties which leads to improved crop yields, which in turn improves the livelihood of farmers, not only in Australia but overseas.
Media Note: Mr Ray Cowley is a PhD student with the E H Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation in Wagga Wagga, a collaborative alliance between CSU and the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI). His PhD is entitled Genetic resistance to diseases of Lupinus albus caused by Diaporthe toxica. The trip to the Philippines is funded by a scholarship from the Crawford Fund. Mr Cowley is supervised by CSU researchers Associate Professor Gavin Ash and Dr John Harper and DPI’s Dr David Luckett. Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. Print this story Special feet needed for Albury study
12 May 2009
 Residents around Albury-Wodonga with peripheral vascular disease – a common complication of diabetes - are sought to assess an early detection system being developed by Charles Sturt University (CSU) researchers. With diabetes now the most likely chronic disease to affect people over 50 years old, for the past 10 years Dr Herbert Jelinek and his team have been studying new and more accessible methods for detecting diabetes in patients in regional Australia. “Peripheral vascular disease constricts blood flow in the extremities of our bodies, particularly feet,” said Dr Jelinek.”We are assessing the use of a simple, hand held instrument to measure blood flow into feet and so detect this condition before nasty complications, such as infections and gangrene, can develop.” The study is being conducted through the Diabetes Complications Research Initiative at CSU in Albury-Wodonga. People already affected by peripheral vascular disease and who would like to take part in the study should contact Ms Bev de Jong on 02 6051 6858.
Media Note: For interviews on the diabetes project, contact Dr Herbert Jelinek from the School of Community Health at CSU at Albury-Wodonga on mobile 0427 681 754. Print this story Dubbo celebrates International Nurses Day
12 May 2009
On International Nurses Day on Tuesday 12 May, lecturers and students at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Nursing and Midwifery at Dubbo have marked the contribution nurses make to the community. “Nursing is an increasingly important profession which plays a vital role in the health care of individuals and communities,” said Head of School, Professor Elaine Duffy. “On International Nurses Day, I am proud to say that CSU, as the University of inland Australia, plays a major role educating nurses who can work in rural regions throughout the nation or anywhere in the world.” Ms Lyn Croxon, lecturer at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Dubbo, said the Bachelor of Nursing course has been running at CSU at Dubbo for nearly ten years and students undertake their clinical placements in a variety of rural and metropolitan settings. “Each year graduates commence work in regional hospitals to boost the nursing workforce in country areas,” said Ms Croxon. “The first year nursing students are about to embark on their first clinical placement in rural community health settings.”
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with lecturer at the CSU School of Nursing and Midwifery at Dubbo, Ms Lyn Croxon. Graduates from CSU at Dubbo have taken various career paths including working overseas, in remote area nursing and nursing management. Some have also undertaken further study, such as midwifery or intensive care nursing.
Print this story How maths is learned at home and school
12 May 2009
The process of how mathematics is learnt by school students has long been investigated by Charles Sturt University (CSU) senior lecturer Dr Tamsin Meaney. The academic has worked with non-English speaking students in Sydney, Indigenous students in the Northern Territory, teachers in the Republic of Kiribati, and in a Maori school in New Zealand. At a public lecture in West Wyalong on Wednesday 27 May, Dr Meaney will discuss how children come to school with a wealth of mathematical experiences learnt outside the classroom. She will examine the common measurement experiences at home and how they assist school lessons. “The more that parents and teachers work together, the more likely that children will learn with confidence,” said Dr Meaney. ”Often with mathematics, this has lead to an emphasis on the parents having to learn about what happens in schools. However, teachers can also learn a lot about what happens at home and use this in planning more tailored learning opportunities.”
Media Note: Dr Tamsin Meaney is from the CSU School of Education in Wagga. She is available for interviews on Wednesday mornings and Friday afternoons. The public lecture, Only two more sleeps until the school holidays; Learning from outside school mathematical practices, is presented by CSU and the Bland Shire Council at 6pm Wednesday 27 May, Bland Shire Council Chambers, Shire St, West Wyalong. RSVP Ms Julie Sharpe on 02 6972 2266 or send an email.
Print this story New student meeting place
12 May 2009
 A community centre for almost 100 Charles Sturt University (CSU) students at Wagga Wagga will be opened on Monday 18 May at St Martin’s College, a residential college operated by the Anglican Church. The Fairfax Centre at St Martin’s College will provide a community centre for the College’s 98 students who are studying a range of degrees including pharmacy, education, veterinary science, science, radiography, oral health and television production. The Centre includes a common study and recreational space for students living in the college, a BBQ area, and staff office space. The new space has enabled the previous office and meeting space to return to its original role as a chapel for students. The construction of the Fairfax Centre was made possible by a generous distribution of funds from the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation as well as from other donors including the Anglican Diocese of the Riverina and the Anglican Diocese of Canberra-Goulburn and CSU.
Media Note: Mrs Sally White, a Director of the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation, will officially open the Fairfax Centre at 11am Monday 18 May at St Martin’s College, Park Way, CSU, Wagga Wagga. A blessing will take place by The Rt Rev Doug Stevens, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Riverina and The Rt Rev Stuart Robinson, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Canberra Goulburn. The CSU Wagga Wagga choir will perform at the opening ceremony. Head of St Martin’s College, The Rev Jenny Willsher is available for interview on 02 6933 4966 or send an email. Print this story Vision Australia award for CSU
12 May 2009
Vision Australia has named Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga as a recipient of its ‘Make A Difference Award’ for 2009 for its practical support for people in its community who are blind or have low vision. Now in its fourth year, the ‘Make a Difference Award’ recognises best practice for considering the needs of people who are blind or have low vision. “Charles Sturt University supports Vision Australia’s Talking Newspaper service by donating blank tapes and providing a XL series duplicator,” said Ms Kerry Strauch, from Vision Australia in Wagga Wagga. “Charles Sturt University staff are also volunteer narrators for the service. The University has made alterations to the on-campus accommodation to ensure it is suitable for blind or low vision students.” The alterations include the provision of tactile markings and adequate lighting. “The University is committed to supporting and encouraging students who are blind or have low vision to apply for courses and aspire to the careers of their choice,” said Ms Strauch.
Media Note: Ms Kerrie Lavicka, Disability Liaison Officer from the CSU Division of Student Services will receive the ‘Make A Difference Award’ on behalf of the University between 10.30am and 11am on Wednesday 13 May at Vision Australia, 102 Peter St, Wagga Wagga. For media queries, contact Ms Megan Denyer from Vision Australia on 02 9334 3308 or send an email. Print this story Head of Campus named Community Champion
12 May 2009
 The retiring Head of Campus at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga, Professor David Green, has been honoured by being named Wagga Mutual Credit Union’s inaugural Community Champion of the Month. The Board of Wagga Mutual Credit Union presented Professor Green with the honour after learning of his retirement from the University at the end of May. The Board honoured the CSU academic in May for his tireless contribution to the region and the links he has forged between CSU and Wagga Mutual. Professor Green and his family are planning to move to Queensland.
Media Note: Read more about Professor David Green here. Print this story Wodonga - fun, safe, friendly and caring
12 May 2009
Students from Melrose Primary School in Wodonga think the city is a fun, safe place with friendly caring people. To reflect this attitude a number of students from Year 5/6 are painting a mural. The students will take half a day on Thursday 14 May to complete the mural in the grounds of Melrose Primary, as part of a collaborative project between Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Murray School of Education, Wodonga City Council and Wodonga early childhood services, primary and high schools. The mural designed is based on discussions held by the students over the past three weeks, based on the theme 'Wodonga: a child-friendly city'. Project coordinator Professor Sue Dockett said this project “encourages children to focus on their community, what they value and expect and the ways in which they engage with the community”.
Media Note: The mural painting will start at 12noon at Melrose Primary School. For pictures and interviews, contact Ms Emma Kearney 0402 737 031. For interviews on the project, contact CSU’s Professor Sue Dockett on 02 6051 9403 or 0422 577 533, or Ms Debra Mudra from Wodonga City Council on 02 6022 9272 or 0419 521 511. The collaborative project combines the resources and staff of CSU, Wodonga City Council and Wodonga early childhood services, primary and high schools to facilitate greater participation by children and young people in Wodonga, culminating in a ‘Children’s and Young Persons’ Summit’ on Wednesday 17 June.
Print this story International Animation Festival for Wagga Wagga
12 May 2009
 Outstanding Australian and international animated films will be on show this weekend as the sixth Australian International Animation Festival returns to Wagga Wagga. Over 120 animated films, selected from 2 000 world-wide, will feature during the three day festival. There will be sessions for for children, teenagers, international animation and a late night ‘bizarre’ screening Festival organiser and Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer Mr Andrew Hagan describes the 2009 program as ‘awe inspiring and unforgettable’. “All of the films selected are exceptional; many have won international awards, some are the most hotly talked about in the global film circuit, and importantly each program is of international standard selected by expert curators.” A feature of the festival is the special children’s program of short animation films which have been carefully selected for appropriateness and entertainment value to appeal to children. “There’ll be premier international screenings and informative seminars, and a surprise screening or two to celebrate this very special art form,” said Mr Hagan.
Media Note: The Australian International Animation Festival will be held at the Forum 6 Cinemas Trail Street, Wagga Wagga from Friday 15 May to Sunday 17 May. A festival pass costs $30, single tickets are $10 and kids (four to 10 years) session tickets are $5. The tickets are available from Forum 6 Cinemas on 02 6921 6863. See the full program here. Print this story Faker no fake for Albury concert
11 May 2009
Outstanding Australian alternative rock outfit Faker will be at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Thurgoona site on Friday 15 May in what has been billed as the biggest concert for Albury in 2009. CSU catering manager in Albury-Wodonga, Mr Tom Hogan said it is hoped the band will attract young people from all over Albury-Wodonga and surrounding districts to the campus off Elizabeth Mitchell Drive for the show, which also includes local Albury band Free Spirits. The support group, which includes students for CSU, will play a lunchtime gig outside the new Learning Commons building on the Thurgoona site at 12noon on Tuesday 12 May, in prepartion for the Faker concert.
Media Note: For pictures with local Albury band Free Spirits and interviews with Mr Tom Hogan, go to CSU’s Thurgoona site, off Elizabeth Mitchell Drive at 12noon on Tuesday 12 May, or contact CSU Media.
Print this story Two Doctor of IT graduates at Bathurst
07 May 2009
Two officers with the Department of Lands in Bathurst will be awarded their doctorates in information technology at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Faculty of Business graduation ceremony at Bathurst on Friday morning 8 May. The Department of Lands sponsored the research work of Dr Peter White and Dr Steven Woodhouse in an endeavour to find solutions to complex information technology challenges faced by the Department. “An interesting point is that both sets of research complement each other and provide a basis for organisations to improve the security of their digital information assets,” Dr White said. “My research thesis, Managing Enterprise Complexity: The Use of Identity Management Architecture to Control Enterprise Resources, is based on a case study of eight Australian public sector agencies that had designed identity management systems. The study allowed the essential elements of identity management systems to be identified with these elements enabling the development of a new Identity Management Architecture (IdMA).” Dr Steven Woodhouse’s thesis, titled Protecting our Critical Assets: A Management Approach to Information Security, is based on a series of studies, interviews and surveys that examined both peoples’ and organisations’ perceptions of risk. “This research identified the key issues in implementing information security and allowed the development of an Information Security Maturity Model and Information Security Quotient,” Dr Woodhouse said.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Dr Peter White and Dr Steven Woodhouse. Dr White also previously graduated from CSU in 2006 with a Master of Information Technology. He is the Technical Services Architect (Operations) at the Department of Lands. He is now also an adjunct lecturer at the School of Computing and Mathematics at CSU Wagga Wagga. Dr Woodhouse previously graduated from CSU in 2006 with a Master of Networking and Systems Administration. He is the Manager Technical Services at the Department of Lands. Print this story Wiradjuri PhD graduate
05 May 2009
.jpg) The first Wiradjuri person from the Erambie community at Cowra, NSW, to be awarded a PhD will have his degree conferred at the graduation ceremony at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst on Thursday 7 May. Dr Lawrence Bamblett, who works part-time at Erambie and lectures part-time at the CSU School of Human Movement Studies came to CSU through the University’s Koori Admissions Program in 1999. Last year he re-wrote and delivered that program which has helped many people from Indigenous communities commence studies at CSU. “My graduation is not just a personal achievement but an achievement for my family and the Erambie community because so many people have supported and assisted me,” Dr Bamblett said. “It is important to me that the community receives the recognition and credit they deserve that one of their own has graduated.” The title of Dr Bamblett’s thesis is Mission Style: Sport and Cultural Continuity on Erambie Mission.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. Print this story Loving & Hating Hollywood to be launched
05 May 2009
 A new book examining the mixed reactions to the influence of Hollywood on national and local cinemas will be launched in Bathurst on Thursday 7 May by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Anthony Cahalan. Loving & Hating Hollywood – Reframing global and local cinema by Associate Professor Jane Mills from the CSU School of Communication, argues that cinema, an art form for more than 100 years, is in a state of constant reinvention due to the interactions between cinemas, films, filmmakers and audiences. Professor Mills asserts that the influence of Hollywood, home of film production in the United States, is often viewed with unnecessary antagonism around the world. “It makes more sense to look at the constant give and take between film cultures in an industry that has been globalised since the very beginnings of cinema. If we focus on a negative view of Hollywood, we ignore or fail to see how all cinemas influence each other. This often results in exciting new films and types of cinemas which push the boundaries of film art,” Professor Mills said.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Associate Professor Jane Mills. Loving & Hating Hollywood – Reframing global and local cinema is published by Allen & Unwin and will be launched in Bathurst at 5.30pm on Thursday 7 May at the upstairs Wattle Bar, Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre, William St, Bathurst. Print this story Art catalogue up for national award
05 May 2009
 A catalogue for an art exhibition held at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in 2008 has been short-listed for a national award. The catalogue for the exhibition ELEMENTS: Dianne Fogwell is up for a Museums Australia Multimedia and Publication Design Award 2009. The catalogue was produced by the Charles Sturt University Art Collection to coincide with the exhibition held during graduation ceremonies at CSU at Wagga Wagga in April 2008. A total of 406 entries were received for the awards from over 100 Australian and international organisations. The CSU Art Collection is one of 17 collections short-listed in its category.
Media Note: The presentation for the Museums Australia Multimedia and Publication Design Award 2009 will take place at the Concert Hall, Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle, on Monday 18 May. Further information is available from CSU Art Curator Thomas Middlemost on (02) 6925 3666. Print this story War on weeds in Central West
05 May 2009
The war against weeds in the NSW Central West continues and one Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher is determined to help win the battle. A dominant weed in the region is serrated tussock, one of Australia's most noxious weeds estimated to cost NSW farmers more than $40 million each year in lost production. Dr Aaron Simmons from the University’s School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences will be talking at regional meetings organised by the NSW/ACT Serrated Tussock Working Party about results from research conducted over the past four years by researchers at CSU and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. “The research has been used to improve current guidelines on best management practice for controlling serrated tussock in native pastures,“ Dr Simmons says. “'Serrated tussock has no boundaries - it is not just a 'farmer's' problem, it's an environmental problem that belongs to the whole community.“
Media Note: For interviews with Dr Aaron Simmons on serrated tussock research, contact CSU Media. Public meetings on the latest research on serrated tussock will be held at Euchareena on the Monday 11 May, Trunkey Creek on Friday 15 May, Goulburn on Tuesday 19 May and Nimmitabel on Thursday 21 May. Interested attendees should check their local paper and ABC Radio for details. Print this story Effective communication can make world a better place
05 May 2009
.jpg) Effective communication can help to make the world a better place, says Associate Professor Jane Mills from Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Communication. Professor Mills will speak about the importance of listening to and collaborating with others when she delivers the Occasional Address to communication graduates at the Faculty of Arts graduation ceremony at 2.30pm on Friday 8 May. “Education leads to knowledge and, importantly, to better understanding about the things that matter. This opens the way for more and better communication and the possibility of better relationships between people,” Professor Mills said. “This, in turn, leads to greater involvement and participation as citizens of the community and nation, resulting in better communication and fellowship between different nations and people all over the world. Effective communication is the linchpin in all this, and I strongly believe that our students graduating with communication degrees are poised not only to become world citizens but to make the world a better place.”
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Associate Professor Jane Mills. Print this story International No Diet Day celebration in Bathurst
05 May 2009
Staff from Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the Central West Women’s Health Centre invite members of the public to join them for a riverside picnic to celebrate International No Diet Day at 12.30pm on Wednesday 6 May at the Peace Park in Bathurst. Event spokesperson, Ms Brona Nic Giolla Easpaig from the CSU School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies, said International No Diet Day has grown for the past decade and is now celebrated in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Australia. “The day was originally created to protest against the pressures on young women caused by the media’s vision of the ‘ideal body’, and it links closely with protests against the ‘size zero’ phenomenon,” Ms Nic Giolla Easpaig said. “This celebration is open to all and includes a talk by health psychologist Dr Stephanie Quinton on the issue of eating disorders and body image.”
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Ms Brona Nic Giolla Easpaig. Participants at the International No Diet Day at 12.30pm on Wednesday 6 May can draw and write on a banner as a piece of collective artwork and social action, and then join in a ‘walk against dieting’ around the river area, returning to the park’s play equipment. Print this story National appointment for theatre/media graduate
05 May 2009
Mr Fraser Corfield, a theatre/media graduate of Charles Sturt University (CSU) has been appointed artistic director of the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) in Sydney. The appointment was welcomed by Mr Jerry Boland, course coordinator in theatre media with the CSU School of Communication at Bathurst, who said Mr Corfield was incredibly accomplished. "Fraser has been a quiet achiever since he left Bathurst in 1993; writing plays, working with youth in Queensland, and picking up multiple awards along the way,” Mr Boland said. “His appointment at the ATYP is only the latest evidence of the high regard that his peers have for his track record of leadership and innovation in youth performing arts. He has also been appointed to the Theatre Board of the Australia Council, the nation's peak arts policy and funding body, recognition that he is an insightful and accomplished practitioner who has much to offer the highest councils of arts practice and policy development in Australia."
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Mr Jerry Boland. Mr Fraser Corfield has directed numerous plays - more information on his work can be found here. Print this story A youthful voice for rural NSW
05 May 2009
 For the second successive year, a Charles Sturt University (CSU) student has been selected as the Sydney Royal Showgirl. Twenty-one year old Ms Kimbalee Morris was named the 2009 Sydney Royal Showgirl during a ceremony on Saturday 18 April. Ms Morris, from Coonabarabran in Northern NSW, is a fourth year human movement student at CSU at Bathurst. “It was such a surprise, but I am so honoured to have been selected as an ambassador for both youth in agriculture and women in agriculture, and also for my local community. It is going to be a very busy 12 months but I am so excited by what is ahead,” said Ms Morris. As part of the title, Ms Morris receives $11 200 from the Royal Agricultural Society and The Land newspaper. She must also undertake activities as part of her role as an ambassador for rural NSW, including opening shows, public speaking events and promoting the showgirl competition. In 2008, pharmacy student at CSU at Orange Ms Anna Unger was named the Sydney Royal Showgirl.
Media Note: Ms Kimbalee Morris is studying through the School of Human Movement Studies at CSU at Bathurst. Print this story |
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