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REGIONAL NEWS
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Science for the future
03 Feb 2009
 Local and international scientists specialising in condensed matter and materials will converge on Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga this week for the 33rd Annual Condensed Matter and Materials Meeting. Organising committee member, Associate Professor Trevor Finlayson, said it's an opportunity for scientists to discuss current research and future directions. “Over 100 people are attending and the program will include a session on ‘soft matter’ – an interdisciplinary field featuring studies of biomaterials,” he said. The program includes topics important to Australian science, such as the status of the international Avogadro project, a collaborative project to establish a new standard for mass, and an update on Synroc, the Australian-discovered artificial mineral with the potential to successfully process radioactive waste materials. “Condensed matter and materials scientists are important because their research leads to new applications of materials with improved properties for the benefit of society,” Professor Finlayson said.
Media Note: The meeting will be held at the Convention Centre at CSU at Wagga Wagga from Tuesday afternoon, 3 February until midday on Friday 6 February. Organising Committee member, Associate Professor Trevor Finlayson, can be contacted on mobile 0408 053 712. Print this story Dengue fever not a plague marching south
28 Jan 2009
 Recent media reports of a dengue fever ‘plague’ in northern Queensland are an overstatement of what periodically occurs in that State, according to a senior Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic and member of the Institute for Land, Water and Society. “I don’t see dengue fever marching south from tropical Australia as a great plague, but rather gradually moving with the fluctuations and movements of climate change over many years,” says Professor Kevin Parton. “My work on Ross River fever, a similarly mosquito-borne disease endemic to parts of southern Australia, shows that the virus is present in humans across NSW – which would surprise many people. It becomes more common in certain weather conditions, hence the appearance of an ‘outbreak’. Sure, take public health precautions such as use insect repellent, fix fly screens and tip out standing water around your house, but some current reports are a little sensationalist.”
Media Note: For interview with Professor Kevin Parton, contact CSU Media. See details here on Professor Parton’s work on Ross River fever. Print this story Neonatal seminar for midwives in Wagga Wagga
27 Jan 2009
The Neonatal Emergency Transport Service (NETS) team from Sydney will conduct a seminar on neonatal emergency care and retrieval for Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Nursing and Midwifery in Wagga Wagga on Friday 30 January. NETS is well known in rural NSW as the team flies to hospitals in Wagga Wagga and outlying areas to stabilise and transport sick babies to major hospitals for specialist care. “The seminar is for student midwives returning to a residential school at CSU after six months of clinical practice. The School has also invited 20 local midwives to attend. We see it as very important to participate in and promote the ongoing education of nurses and midwives,” Ms Shackleton said. “Most nurses and midwives in rural hospitals will have participated in the retrieval of a sick baby by the NETS team. These babies are usually very tiny and sick, so they require the highest level of professional nursing and medical care to achieve the best possible outcome.”
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. The Neonatal Seminar will be held at the Wagga Wagga Convention Centre between 9am and 3pm on Friday 30 January. Media are welcome to visit to take photos between 9am and 3pm. Senior nurse educators with NETS, Ms Sarah Adams and Ms Lisa Sealey, will facilitate the seminar for 50 participants. The main topics will include managing common serious conditions, neonatal resuscitation, stabilisation for transfer and supporting parents. Print this story Health, education demand strong from Victorian students
20 Jan 2009
Demand for health and education courses offered to Victorian students by Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Albury-Wodonga continues to be healthy, says the University’s Student Administration Executive Director, Mr Geoff Honey. “The physiotherapy course appears to be full, while our other allied health and education courses have been in strong demand from Victorian students,” Mr Honey said. “However, there are places available in most offered courses on the campus, especially in environmental science and business.” Offers for CSU places through the NSW University Admissions Centre will be made this Thursday 22 January. Orientation Week for new students will commence on Monday 16 February. Victorian applicants considering a CSU course should contact the University’s Student Administration Office on (02) 6051 6811 to discuss their application.
Media Note: For interviews with Mr Honey or the new Head of CSU at Albury-Wodonga, Professor Allan Curtis, contact CSU Media. Print this story CSU telescope showcases the southern sky in 2009
20 Jan 2009
 The Remote Telescope at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst has a full calendar of observation events plotted for the UNESCO 2009 International Year of Astronomy, which celebrates 400 years since Galileo first turned a telescope to view the night sky. The initiator and administrator of the CSU telescope, Associate Professor David McKinnon at the CSU School of Teacher Education says that images of the southern night sky through the telescope can be seen via the Internet, weather permitting, around themes that depend on which celestial objects are visible at that time. “The observation calendar centres on special events such as the particular phases of the Moon and planets, as well as requests that are lodged via the Remote Telescope website,” Professor McKinnon said. “This year is a wonderful opportunity for school students and anyone interested in astronomy to access the telescope and website to see planets and other objects as they may never have seen them before.”
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Associate Professor David McKinnon. The next scheduled observations are on the first clear night between Tuesday 3 and Thursday 5 February when the CSU Remote Telescope will observe the Moon, ‘deep sky objects’ (such as nebulae, star clusters and galaxies), and the planet Saturn with its rings. The first session was broadcast on the night of 3 January, with participants from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands. The CSU Remote Telescope has featured in national and international scientific education awards. Print this story Advertising executive joins communication school
20 Jan 2009
.JPG) An executive with over 25 years experience in the Australian advertising industry says she understands why Charles Sturt University (CSU) advertising and advertising/marketing graduates are so highly sought by the industry. Ms Anne Llewellynn has joined the CSU School of Communication at Bathurst as lecturer in advertising after a career as a senior account director for major agencies including McCann-Erickson, MDO (Mojo) and DDB, where her expertise contributed to the success of a range of national and international products and services in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, consumer goods, banking and finance sectors. “Last year I worked with final year students in the School’s advertising agency Kajulu Communications to prepare complete communications recommendations for real clients,” Ms Llewellynn said. “The presentations and the calibre of the work produced by some of these students were industry standard. The students graduating from this School enter the industry with the highest academic qualifications and hands-on industry experience.”
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Ms Anne Llewellynn. Print this story New head at Albury-Wodonga
13 Jan 2009
 Professor Allan Curtis has been appointed as the new Head of Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Albury-Wodonga. Professor Curtis, who took up the position on Tuesday 23 December, replaces Professor Gail Whiteford. He will hold this appointment concurrently with his position as Strategic Professor at the University’s Institute for Land, Water and Society. Professor Curtis joined CSU in 2004 as the inaugural Professor of Integrated Environmental Management. He previously worked at CSU from 1991 to 2002 before leading the Social Sciences Program at the federal Bureau of Rural Sciences in Canberra. Professor Curtis’ current research focuses on the social dimensions of regional natural resource management, including the social and economic impacts of water and its regulation in the Murray-Darling Basin.
Media Note: The new Head of CSU at Albury-Wodonga, Professor Allan Curtis, is available for interview from Tuesday 13 January 2009. Contact CSU Media. Print this story Science on show
13 Jan 2009
 The joys, challenges and wonder of science and technology as a career option will be highlighted when high school students attend the Siemens Science Experience at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga from Wednesday 14 to Friday 16 January. The three days of science experiences will include practical and interactive demonstrations for students starting Year 10 in 2009, as well as their parents. A national initiative of the Science Schools Foundation Inc., the annual event has the support of Rotary clubs, Siemens, the Australian Science Teacher's Association and the Young Scientists of Australia as well as universities around the country. Dean of CSU’s Faculty of Science and science enthusiast, Professor Nick Klomp, and Manager of CSU Learning Enterprise, Ms Jenny King, will welcome the students to the Siemens Science Experience from 9am on Wednesday 14 January in the Wal Fife Theatre on CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus.
Media Note: The Siemens Science Experience program is available from CSU Media. Dean of the University’s Faculty of Science, Professor Nick Klomp, will be available for interviews ahead of his opening address at 9.15am at the Wal Fife Theatre, building 14, room 115, near car park 4, Tooma Way, CSU at Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 14 January. Media can also see the ‘Chemistry Everyday’ workshop with CSU chemistry lecturer Dr Julia Howitt from 11.30am to 1.30pm in the CSU chemistry laboratory, building 16, room 203, on Thursday 15 January. A copy of the program can be found here.. Print this story Falcon chick prepares for the plunge
13 Jan 2009
 Having survived wind, rain, freezing cold, searing heat and a lightning strike, the Peregrine Falcon chick at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) in Orange has come of age and is preparing for its first flight from the campus’ 50 metre-high water tower. “By all recorded accounts, Peregrine Falcons first fly between six to eight weeks old,” says Dr Cilla Kinross, Adjunct Lecturer in Environmental Management at the CSU School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences. “The chick has reached the six week mark so its first flight could happen any minute. It is likely to stay close to the nest-site for the next several weeks and with its parents for two to three months to learn to hunt before becoming independent.” The chick has been named Migii, the Aboriginal name for ‘lightning’, and was the sole survivor of two eggs hatched in October last year.
Media Note: Dr Cilla Kinross is available for interviews at 10am on Wednesday 14 January at CSU in Orange. For more information contact CSU Media. It is thought that this is the closest-ever footage of a wild pair of breeding Peregrine Falcons and their young, as the nesting box contains concealed video cameras with audio. Still photos, a blog journal and links to video footage of the falcons can be found here, including video of the chick preparing for its first flight. Print this story A Christmas wish to all
23 Dec 2008
 CSU Media wishes all our readers a very safe and happy Christmas and New Year. The team says a big ‘thank you’ for your support of CSU News during 2008. CSU Media is looking forward to an exciting 2009 when CSU will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Charles Sturt University will be closed from 12.30pm Wednesday 24 December until 9am Monday 5 January 2009.
Print this story CSU Council congratulates award winning lecturers
23 Dec 2008
.JPG) At its final meeting for 2008 on Thursday 18 December, the University Council of Charles Sturt University (CSU) congratulated Associate Professor David McKinnon and Dr Lena Danaia from the School of Teacher Education for winning a prestigious 2008 Australian Award for University Teaching. The Chancellor of CSU, Mr Lawrie Willett, AO, said “The Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) award reflects the dedication and expertise of Professor McKinnon and Dr Danaia, and that of their School, the Faculty of Education and the whole University. We are proud of their contributions to the education of the professions for our regions and the nation. This award reflects Charles Sturt University’s mission to provide education and research to national and international standards, for the people of inland Australia.” Read more about the ALTC award here.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. Print this story Recognising CSU Ontario students with potential
23 Dec 2008
 A passion for education, the pursuit of excellence and a commitment to children were attributes recognised in three students at Charles Sturt University in Ontario, Canada, who were awarded the Kate Graham Learning Communities Awards in December 2008. The winners, Mr Roland McDougall, Ms Melanie Childs and Mr Farran Glynn, were presented their awards by Ms Kate Graham and her husband Paul during ‘Careers Week.’ The $400 in prize money for the award was raised by CSU Ontario’s 2007 and 2008 graduating students after Ms Graham was involved in a serious car accident which interrupted her Bachelor of Primary Education Studies. The three students to receive the Kate Graham Learning Communities Awards in 2008 were recognised as representing Ms Graham’s dedication to learning. Read more about the CSU Ontario School of Education here.
Media Note: For interviews with Ms Kate Graham, contact Ms Sara Lam from CSU on (905) 333-4955 ext. 55105 or send an email. Print this story University of Delaware students in Wagga Wagga
23 Dec 2008
 Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the University of Delaware in the United States will reaffirm their commitment to agricultural education on two continents when 18 students spend 10 days at CSU at Wagga Wagga in the New Year. Located in farming country between New York and Washington DC, the University of Delaware has one of the largest Study Abroad programs in the USA. “This will be the fourth group of students to travel to CSU since 2004,” said Emeritus Professor Ted Wolfe, from the CSU School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences. The students, who are due to arrive in Wagga Wagga on Monday 5 January, will study local animal production issues and leadership opportunities through hands-on experiences, farm visits, field trips and local sightseeing. “We gain international insights from these visitors – international exchange is important for CSU students and academics, as well as for the community groups, local agribusiness and agricultural institutions that are assisting CSU to develop a global perspective,” said Professor Wolfe. During their four-week stay in Australia, the US students will participate in lectures and visit agribusiness firms and farms around Wagga Wagga, before moving on to sightseeing in Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart and Sydney.
Media Note: CSU’s Professor Ted Wolfe is available for interview on 0401 753 786. Professor Wolfe will accompany the University of Delaware students to the Wagga Wagga Livestock Marketing Centre at Bomen from 10.30am Thursday 8 January and the NSW TAFE Primary Industries Centre in Coolamon Rd from 1.30pm. The University of Delaware’s Professor Pat Barber and Professor Bill Saylor will also accompany the students. Print this story Mid-Western Regional Council scholarships for CSU students
22 Dec 2008
 The Mid-Western Regional Council has committed $30 000 to the Charles Sturt Foundation at Charles Sturt University (CSU) to create an annual scholarship to support local students. The scholarship will be available to students in any course on any of CSU’s five main campuses at Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange or Wagga Wagga. The scholarship will be valued at $2 500 per year and will be available to students who reside in the Mid-Western Regional Council area, or who have completed the majority of their high school education there.
The Mid-Western Region covers an area of 9 000 square kilometres, includes the towns of Gulgong, Kandos, Mudgee and Rylstone as well as many rural villages, and features agricultural diversity ranging from producing quality wines to fine wools.
“Council is delighted with this opportunity to help young people from our region to obtain a higher education,” said Mid-Western Region Mayor, Cr Percy Thompson.
“Students and their families can face numerous financial challenges in fulfilling their dreams of university study. Many students may not take up the opportunity of tertiary study because of the costs involved. These costs can include travel, accommodation, textbooks, fees and other living expenses. “More than 100 students from this Region are enrolled each year at one of the five campuses of Charles Sturt University. By funding the Mid-Western Regional Council Scholarship, Council looks forward to helping ease the financial burden of a higher education for someone each year,” said Cr Thompson. “The generosity of donors who support the Charles Sturt Foundation, such as the Mid-Western Regional Council, is assisting the University to recognise and reward our best and brightest students,” said Ms Jan Hudson, Manager, University Relations for the Charles Sturt Foundation. “Scholarships provide students with an excellent start and on-going support during their studies, as well as providing students with vital industry links.
“The establishment of these scholarships is a demonstration of Mid-Western Regional Council’s support for Charles Sturt University and its students, and an example of a local council providing financial support for its students.”
Businesses interested in supporting the Charles Sturt Foundation should contact the Foundation Office on (02) 6338 4832. Information on CSU scholarships can be found here.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. Print this story CSU appoints Ian Macintosh as first Pro-Chancellor
19 Dec 2008
.jpg) The Vice-Chancellor of Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Ian Goulter, announced the appointment today of Mr Ian Macintosh, AM, as the first Pro-Chancellor of the University. The Pro-Chancellor is a newly created position that will act as an ambassador for the University in the Bathurst and central western communities, including deputising for the Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor at ceremonies. Mr Macintosh is a former Mayor of Bathurst Regional Council and Deputy Chancellor of CSU. He served as a member of the University Council for eight years, including four years as Deputy Chancellor. “Ian is a wonderful servant of the community and a great advocate of Charles Sturt University, and the unanimous endorsement of his appointment by the University Council to this important position reflects the esteem in which he is held within the University,” Professor Goulter said. “It is a great opportunity to continue my connection with one of Australia’s most progressive Universities and to support its development as the national University of inland Australia,” Mr Macintosh said. Mr Macintosh will hold the position for a period of 2 years until December 2010.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. Print this story Learning from the Sami people
19 Dec 2008
 As Australia looks at international experience, including those of Norway, in the formation of a new Indigenous representative body in 2009, a leading Sami academic included a trip to Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga on her recent visit to the country. In Australia to attend the triennial World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education in Melbourne, Associate Professor Asta Balto, from Norway, travelled to CSU to discuss Indigenous education. The Sami people are Indigenous to the northern parts of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia. With a lengthy involvement in Sami education, Asta Balto is currently Associate Professor in Pedagogy at the Sámi University College in Guovdageaidnu, Norway and was recently engaged to help develop the Sami perspective in teacher education in Sweden. While at CSU, Associate Professor Balto met with Mr John Muk Muk Burke, a Wiradjuri man and one of the University’s Indigenous Learning Skills Advisors “It was a privilege to be able to talk first hand with a Sami woman about her people’s struggle for representation, particularly as Australia looks at models for an Indigenous representative body,” said Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at CSU, Dr Mary O’Dowd, who accompanied Associate Professor Balto in Australia. “Clearly the Sami Parliament would be one very relevant model. Asta was also very interested in our research at Charles Sturt University on ‘whiteness’ as it is integral to our shared nations’ understandings of how to achieve social justice for Indigenous people in Australia.”
Media Note: Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at CSU, Dr Mary O’Dowd is available for comment. Dr O'Dowd can also organise an interview with Associate Professor Asta Balto as well. Photos are available from CSU Media.
Print this story Local alternative for IT positions
18 Dec 2008
 Students wanting to complete a university degree in information technology (IT) have a local alternative pathway with plenty of job opportunities. Charles Sturt University (CSU) and TAFE NSW Riverina Institute have developed a three year course that integrates the TAFE Diploma of Information Technology (Networking) with CSU’s Bachelor of Information Technology. Students start with full-time study on the Albury Campus of Riverina Institute for the first six months before studying at both institutions. During their third and final year they study full time on CSU’s Albury-Wodonga Campus at Thurgoona. CSU coordinator of the joint study, Mr Jeff Ash, says the employment rate for graduates of this integrated course is very high, with all students who completed the course in 2007 gaining employment almost immediately and many offered positions before they finished. "Demand for IT graduates is sky rocketing, with the Australian Computer Society – the professional association of the IT industry – forecasting a critical and growing shortage in Australia for the foreseeable future,” Mr Ash said. The collaboration not only creates an integrated program between CSU and TAFE but also shares computing facilities to maximize the resources available to students in this course. In particular, TAFE will make specialist networking resources available to CSU students that are not available at CSU.
Media Note: For interview with Dr Ash, contact CSU Media. Further information about the Bachelor of Information Technology - TAFE Degree Link Albury integrated program can be gained by contacting either CSU or Riverina TAFE, or the course website. Print this story Indonesian sports coaches train in Bathurst
16 Dec 2008
 Ten Indonesian national sports coaches are undertaking intensive training for an Advanced Certificate in Sport Conditioning at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst this week following the success of the Indonesian team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Dr Stephen Bird from the CSU School of Human Movement Studies said, “The Olympics success has led to CSU signing a contract for the University to provide expertise to the Indonesian national team in the lead-up to the South-East Asian Games in 2009. CSU will provide coaching and technical support, particularly for strength and conditioning, for all athletes across 25 sports that include fencing, boxing, taekwondo, canoeing, track and field and badminton.” The Indonesian coaches conclude their CSU training on Friday 19 December, and then in January 2009 Dr Bird and colleague Mr Benjamin Barrington-Higgs will travel to Indonesia to launch the Physical Preparation Unit for 227 athletes in the Indonesian National Elite Athlete Program.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Dr Stephen Bird. Print this story Striving for seamless communications
16 Dec 2008
 The changing communication needs of Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) multi-campus environment have led the institution to secure the services of global company, Interactive Intelligence. The firm, which provides contact centre and IP telephony products and services, has won the contract to deploy a unified communications platform across CSU by the end of 2009. . In a competitive tender process, the Interactive Intelligence all-in-one IP communications software suite, Customer Interaction Center® (CIC), was selected. “The aging PABX platform is increasingly difficult to maintain and unable to scale with the University’s changing communications requirements,” said Mr Phil Roy, Director of Operations at CSU’s Division of Information Technology. “The new unified communications solution will be implemented by Interactive Intelligence partner, CallTime Solutions. It is unique in Australia in that it is a single software platform with several features. In addition to all campuses, the University will roll out the new IP telephony system to the University’s new student residential accommodation under construction at CSU at Bathurst, Thurgoona and Wagga Wagga, It will also be deployed for the University’s new dentistry and oral health therapy program.”
Media Note: Mr Phil Roy, Director of Operations at CSU’s Division of Information Technology is available for interview. Contact CSU Media. Print this story Changing your uni enrolment preferences
16 Dec 2008
You have your results for university admission, they are different to what you expected, and you want to change your enrolment at university. Current students and staff from Charles Sturt University (CSU), particularly at Albury-Wodonga, will be available on Thursday 18 December to advise prospective students and their parents and friends on the process. CSU advisers will be on hand to discuss alternative pathways for prospective students in 2009, as well as accommodation and student services available at the University’s Albury city and Thurgoona sites. The Course Information Day will be held between 2 and 6pm in the Nowik Lecture Theatre, Guinea St, Albury. For further details on the day, contact CSU Prospective Student Adviser, Ms Rebecca Gale Collins, on mobile 0409 975 085.
Media Note: For interview with Ms Gale Collins, contact CSU Media. Print this story |
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