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REGIONAL NEWS
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Frost and fog lift for Uni Games
08 Jul 2009
Frost and fog greeted athletes on the first day of competition at the 2009 Eastern University Games that started at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst on Monday 6 July. The cool weather remained but cleared for the successful completion of all rounds of competition. Teams manager for the CSU teams, Mr Nik Granger, said that the more than 1 500 participants from 15 universities were assured that while Bathurst weather isn’t always like this, it could be worse. “At least it’s not windy and snowing,” Mr Granger joked. “Last week, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Goulter, suggested that the weather could provide our CSU teams with a home-town advantage, but I suspect that all the competing students come from such a wide range of geographical backgrounds that whatever the weather, it will still be a level playing field. Our main wish is that all the participants enjoy a wonderful competition and return safely to their home campuses with fond memories of their time at Bathurst and CSU.”
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. The 2009 Eastern University Games are held from Monday 6 to Wednesday 8 July and include ten sports - lawn bowls, netball, basketball, football, hockey, touch, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, tennis and Sportspower rugby union 7s. Print this story Health workers for rural and regional Australia
07 Jul 2009
A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic has been recognised for her work in improving the clinical experience of health students at CSU at Albury-Wodonga. Ms Kristy Robson from the School of Community Health has been named winner of the 2009 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Professional Excellence for her work with the CSU Allied Health Clinic where podiatry and other students obtain clinical experience. Ms Robson has also organised joint clinics with physiotherapy students, with a similar clinic with occupational therapy students scheduled in the next semester. Ms Robson grew up in Albury, studied in Sydney, and returned to set up a private practice in Albury-Wodonga before moving to CSU. “Since we want more health professionals working in regional and rural areas, it is vital that Charles Sturt University continues to offer high quality health courses and professional experiences that develop the confidence of students to meet the challenges of working in regional and rural areas,” Ms Robson said.
Media Note: CSU lecturer Ms Kristy Robson is available for interview.
Print this story Teaching excellence award to 'local'
07 Jul 2009
The 2009 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence at Charles Sturt University (CSU) has been presented to Central West ‘local’ Dr Jennifer Sappey, from Oberon, who came to work at Mitchell College of Advanced Education – one of CSU’s predecessor institutions - in 1974 before enrolling to study there in 1975. “For me, education is about social justice, for the individual and the wider community,” Dr Sappey said. “My commitment to education lies in its role as a social equaliser, leading me to an emphasis on bridging theory to practice and my students’ own life experiences. My disciplinary lens, industrial sociology, allows me to understand that teaching is not just something I ‘do’ but who I ‘am’, and my strong belief in Charles Sturt University as a place of inspiration and hope which changes peoples’ lives, both young and old, lies at the heart of my own story.” Dr Sappey taught at other universities before returning to CSU in 2002 to take up a role as lecturer in Management. In 2007 she was appointed to her current role as lecturer in Sociology in the School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies at CSU at Bathurst.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with CSU academic Dr Jennifer Sappey. The latest Vice-Chancellor’s awards were presented at a ceremony on Tuesday 30 June at CSU at Bathurst.
Print this story Cellar Door up for NSW tourism award
07 Jul 2009
The Charles Sturt University (CSU) Winery Cellar Door at Wagga Wagga has again been named as a finalist in the annual Inland NSW Tourism Awards. The Cellar Door is one of the finalists in the Riverina region of the 2009 Inland NSW Tourism Awards. The winners will be named at a dinner at the Crossing Theatre in Narrabri NSW on Saturday 25 July. The Cellar Door sells wine and offers tastings from the University’s own range of premium table, fortified and sparkling wines. Since its inception in 1977, the Winery has won numerous trophies and medals in national wine shows. The winery has been rated as a 4.5 star winery in the 2009 and 2008 James Halliday Wine Companion and was a finalist in the 2008 Inland NSW Tourism Awards. “It’s a great achievement to once again be named as a finalist in these awards considering the number of cellar door’s in operation in inland NSW,” said Cellar Door Manager Mr Richard Lawson. “The award recognises the Winery’s contribution to local and regional tourism, as well as the extensive range of CSU wine, cheese and olive oil products available for tasting and sales. It also recognises the hard work of our dedicated Cellar Door team.”
Media Note: Cellar Door Manager Mr Richard Lawson is available for interview on 02 6933 2011. The Cellar Door is opening for tastings and sales from 11am to 5pm on Monday to Friday and from 11am to 4pm on weekends and public holidays. Print this story CSU horses around in holidays
07 Jul 2009
The success of the inaugural equine school held during the Easter school holiday break at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Orange has prompted organiser Ms Cheryl Gander to continue the program. The next school will be held from Tuesday 21 to Friday 24 July. “All the participants enjoyed themselves immensely and came away feeling they had learned valuable horsemanship skills as well as new handling techniques and a better understanding of the general welfare and nutrition of their equine friends,” said Ms Gander from the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences. The four-day school, run by highly regarded and qualified instructors, caters for all age groups and experience levels. The Equine Centre at CSU at Orange even has a selection of quiet horses that are available for hire during the school. The closing date for enrolment applications for the July school is Monday 13 July. For enquiries please phone Ms Gander on 02 63657 850 or mobile 0417 665 324.
Media Note: For interviews contact CSU Media. Read more about the equine school here. Print this story Finding the solution not the problem
30 Jun 2009
The shift in counselling technique from focussing on a client’s problem and where the problem originated from, to concentrating on solutions to the issue has been highlighted in a new book by Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic and counsellor, Ms Stephanie Johnson. Solution focused counselling... Keeping it Real, discusses the philosophy of solution focused counselling, now used in most government and non-government agencies, particularly in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. The eBook provides step-by-step examples of the techniques and principles of solution focused. “This is a book for therapists, social workers, psychologists and allied health professionals in the brief family therapy,” said Ms Johnson. “This is a book for those who are interested in using solution focus in their work and want to know more. Solution focused counselling fitted my counselling approach perfectly. It maintains that the client is the expert in their own life and that the problem is the problem; the client is not the problem. This book is the accumulation of 14 years of counselling practice - I felt that there was a gap in the market for information for beginning practitioners around solution focused counselling.”
Media Note: The eBook Solution focused counselling....Keeping it Real was published in 2009 by www.solutionfocusedcounselling.com. The book is available here. Ms Stephanie Johnson is a social worker lecturer at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga and a practising counsellor. Her areas of research include adolescent trauma, mental health and counselling. Ms Johnson is available for interview about her new book and solution focused counselling.
Print this story 2MCE's Sounds Live Australia-wide
30 Jun 2009
When the week-long live-to-air music festival Sounds Live returns to Bathurst community radio station 2MCE from Saturday 1 to Friday 7 August, the performances will be recorded for distribution to community radio stations around Australia. Ms Michelle O’Connor, Programming and Production Coordinator at 2MCE, said the station recently received a grant from the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (AMRAP) to produce a compilation CD of local musicians from the Sounds Live concerts for distribution nationally via AMRAP and the Community Radio Network (CRN). “The AMRAP funding comes from the Federal Government and is managed through the Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF). We are very pleased to be part of this project and look forward to sharing the great musical talent from the Bathurst region with the rest of Australia,” said Ms O’Connor. In 2009 Sounds Live will feature two live concerts for the Bathurst community.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. 2MCE operates from studios at CSU at Bathurst and has a long history of providing innovative programmes. In 2009, 2MCE will join with Local Stages to host the launch event, the Sounds Live Cabaret on Saturday 1 August at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (BMEC). The cabaret will bring old-time style, glamour and audience participation to the radio and will feature performances from EQD, Fat Wombat, Aaron Hopper, and Eight Dollar Orchestra. On Sunday 2 August, 2MCE will host Sounds Live Acoustic from the Ponton Theatre at CSU at Bathurst for an afternoon of laid-back acoustic music. The rest of the Sounds Live week will feature live-to-air performances from 2MCE’s broadcasting studios.
Print this story Student focuses on dairy industry
30 Jun 2009
Half-way through her veterinary science studies at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga, Ms Simone Lee is putting her scholarship funds to good use. Ms Lee from Mathoura, between Deniliquin and Echuca, won the 2009 Greenham Dairy Scholarship worth $10 000. The funds are being used by the CSU student to meet the costs of the practical experience in her course such as accommodation and travel, including four weeks work in the field in 2009. She has undertaken placements at her home town of Mathoura in NSW as well as in Corryong and Tatura in Victoria. “I spent one year on a dairy farm before starting my degree at CSU in 2007 and it is there that I developed a strong interest in working with dairy cattle,” said Ms Lee. “This generous scholarship has made a big difference to my life of study and work at CSU.” The annual scholarship, offered by H W Greenham and Sons in Tongala, Victoria, aims to promote education within the dairy industry and to encourage people to undertake further studies and make a commitment to the industry.
Media Note: CSU student Ms Simone Lee is studying her degree through the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga. She is on a semester break from Friday 26 June until Monday 27 July.
Print this story Climate change in textile
30 Jun 2009
A decade-long relationship in cyberspace between fourteen Australian and New Zealand female visual artists has led to a new exhibition of stitched textiles focussing on the issue of climate change. The email group includes Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer, Dr Sue Wood from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Wagga Wagga. Organised by email, the exhibition, A Change in the Weather, is currently travelling in New Zealand. It is curated by New Zealand textile artist Ms Clare Smith who found one of her inspirations in her husband, Dr David Wratt, a climate change scientist for Niwa. The works – all 50 by 150 centimetres, highlight the potential causes and consequences of climate change. “My piece, ‘The Forgotten Factor’ is inspired by where I live; fertile farming land shrinks under the onslaught of drought and fire,” said Dr Wood. “We debate the causes and we debate about what to do, but we don't talk any more about the impact of an exponentially increasing world population.”
Media Note: Dr Sue Wood is an Art History and Visual Culture Lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga. She has exhibited her textiles in Australia and overseas and wrote her PhD thesis on the work of NSW embroiderers in the 1960s and 1970s. The exhibition A Change in the Weather will open in the Cloakroom Gallery, Queenstown Art Gallery in Queenstown, NZ, on Friday 3 July. It was shown in the Minerva Textile Gallery in Wellington, NZ in June.
Print this story Inspiration for a career in agriculture
30 Jun 2009
Identifying animals destined for the abattoir and cloning smelly plants are just some of the activities on offer to high school students in the Riverina at the Agricultural Enrichment Day on Monday 6 July at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga. Hosted by the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, an alliance between CSU and the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), the event will give the students access to some of the leading agricultural and veterinary scientists in NSW. “The event has been a success in previous years and I hope the day will inspire students to consider a career in one of the many jobs agriculture can offer,” said Director of the EH Graham Centre, Professor Deirdre Lemerle. Year 10 and 11 students will attend from Barham Central School, Billabong Central School, Riverina Anglican College, Kooringal High School, Griffith High School, Finley High School, Murrumburrah High School, St Paul’s at Walla Walla and Wagga Wagga High School.
Media Note: The Agricultural Enrichment Day will be held on Monday 6 July at laboratories and lecture rooms across CSU at Wagga Wagga from 8.45am to 1.30pm. To arrange an interview contact Dr Gordon Murray from the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation on 0428 381 879 or send an email. Print this story Staff honoured for excellence
30 Jun 2009
The extensive research work of Charles Sturt University (CSU) ecologist, Associate Professor Gary Luck in the area of biodiversity conservation has been publicly acknowledged in the 2009 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence. The Vice-Chancellor and President of CSU Professor Ian Goulter announced on Monday 22 June the recipients of this year’s awards to academic and general staff. The Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence has gone to Associate Professor Luck from the School of Environmental Sciences at CSU at Albury-Wodonga and a member of the University’s Institute for Land, Water and Society. His internationally recognised work focuses on two key areas in ecosystem services and conservation near human settlements. Ms Kristy Robson from the School of Community Health at CSU at Albury-Wodonga has been named winner of the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Professional Excellence for her work the University’s Allied Health Clinic where podiatry and other students obtain clinical experience. There are two recipients of the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence in lecturer Ms Amanda Davies from the School of Policing Studies at CSU at Goulburn and lecturer Dr Jennifer Sappey from the School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies at CSU at Bathurst. Awards for excellence in leadership, performance and programs that enhance learning have also been announced. Professor Goulter will present the awards during ceremonies at Bathurst on Tuesday 30 June and at Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 1 July.
Media Note: A presentation ceremony will be held in the James Hardie Dining Room, CSU at Bathurst from 2pm to 5pm on Tuesday 30 June. A presentation ceremony will be held from 2pm to 5pm at the Convention Centre at CSU at Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 1 July. Read the latest work of researcher and recipient of the 2009 Vice-Chancellor's Award for Research Excellence, Associate Professor Gary Luck here.
Print this story Record lottery jackpot gives scientist pause for thought
26 Jun 2009
To say the odds are long when it comes to the chance of winning the largest lottery draw in Australian history on Tuesday 30 June is an understatement. Professor Nick Klomp, Dean of the Faculty of Science at Charles Sturt University (CSU), puts the chance of winning the jackpot in the $90 million Oz Lotto draw next week at one in 45 million. “If you want an even chance to win the first division just once in your life, you would have to buy a 10-game ticket every single week of your life, even when a baby,” said Professor Klomp. However the CSU academic adds “oh, and you’d have to live to be over 87 000 years old”. “You are much, much more likely to die from being struck by lightning than pick the seven winning numbers by playing a single game next week.” Professor Klomp usually advises people to keep their money in their pocket. He sees lottery tickets as voluntary taxes for people who are lousy at mathematics, but the size of this jackpot makes it worth thinking about.“In any normal week, the best way to be a winner is to put the money you were going to spend on lottery tickets into a savings plan,” said Professor Klomp. “However a $90 million lottery is not normal. As soon as the first division prize goes over $50 million, the potential payback becomes worth the investment. It doesn’t increase your chances of winning; it just makes it mathematically more sensible to buy a ticket.” Professor Klomp is keen to point out that all of this assumes that if you win the jackpot, you aren’t sharing it. “You need the potential payback to be at least 45 million times every dollar you spend. So long as you don’t think it’s an investment and you get your money back in fun, then go ahead and enjoy yourself,” advises Professor Klomp.
Media Note: Professor Nick Klomp is the Dean of the Faculty of Science at CSU at Albury-Wodonga. He doesn’t usually buy lottery tickets, but may just break his own rule this week. He is available for interviews. Contact CSU Media. Print this story Building better voices
25 Jun 2009
People who rely on their voices for their livelihoods, such as teachers, singers and auctioneers, can receive assessment and care for the vocal tools of their trade at a free, three week clinic in July. Speech pathology professionals from Albury Base Hospital and Charles Sturt University (CSU) as well as CSU students will collaborate to offer an ‘Intensive Voice Management Clinic’ consisting of an assessment and six therapy sessions over three weeks. The sessions will be conducted by voice specialist and speech pathologist, Dr Alison Winkworth, and Albury Base Hospital senior speech pathologist, Ms Anna O’Callaghan, together with CSU speech pathology students using the latest voice assessment and therapy technology. The clinic is due to start with an assessment session on Tuesday 7 July. Potential clients can contact Ms O’Callaghan on (02) 6058 4565 or send an email.
Media Note: For interviews contact CSU Media. Print this story Long-serving CSU Head of School retires
24 Jun 2009
After 35 years at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst and its predecessor institution Mitchell College of Advanced Education (MCAE), Associate Professor Leonora Ritter, Head of the School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies, will retire on Wednesday 1 July. Professor Anthony Cahalan, Dean of Faculty of Arts at CSU, said following her appointment to an academic position at MCAE in 1974, Professor Ritter has gone on to make an extraordinary contribution to the School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies and to CSU. “Leonora has been Head of School for the past six years and has chaired and served on numerous committees at all levels of the institution. In every role, her commitment to her students, staff and colleagues has been generous and exemplary. We wish her all the very best in her retirement, and look forward to maintaining Charles Sturt University's association with her in her role as mentor on a number of significant projects in the future,” Professor Cahalan said. Professor Ritter will be farewelled by colleagues at an afternoon tea on Thursday 25 June.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. Print this story Social inclusion for low paid workers
23 Jun 2009
The idea that employment automatically leads to personal well-being and social inclusion is being questioned by a Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher. In an address to the 2009 Social Inclusion Forum in Melbourne on Thursday 25 June, Dr Helen Masterman-Smith will question what, if anything, the Federal Government’s Social Inclusion Agenda (SIA) has done to address the kinds of barriers that low paid workers encounter. “Labour market participation is a cornerstone of the whole-of-government approach that the Commonwealth is developing to improve social inclusion. However, its SIA recognises that low pay and poor job quality often derail this key objective.” A sociology lecturer and co-author of the book Living Low Paid, Dr Masterman-Smith says the difficulties of ‘making work pay’ at the bottom end of the labour market is a social inclusion challenge that has yet to receive the policy or public attention it warrants. She will also comment on whether the Australian labour market and economy can actually deliver a ‘just transition’ to a low-carbon economy, through the Emissions Trading Scheme, or whether such a transition will simply reproduce current labour market inequalities.
Media Note: Dr Helen Masterman-Smith is a sociology lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga. She will speak at Melbourne University’s 2009 Social Inclusion Forum, to be held on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June. Dr Masterman-Smith will present a seminar titled Labour force participation: when employment doesn’t lead to inclusion. Is the SIA likely to improve the current situation or simply perpetuate it? Her book, co-authored with Ms Barbara Pocock, Living Low Paid: The dark side of prosperous Australia was published by Allen & Unwin in 2008.
Print this story State pharmacy award for student
23 Jun 2009
A pharmacy student at Charles Sturt University (CSU) has been named the NSW Pharmacy Student of Year by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA). Mr Lloyd Smith was named the winner in Sydney on Saturday 13 June during a pharmacy expo hosted by the PSA. Sponsored by the company Alphapharm, the competition tests the communication and counselling skills of final year pharmacy students. Mr Smith will now compete for the national title of Pharmacy Student of the Year during the PSA’s annual Pharmacy Australia Congress in Sydney from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 October. Mr Smith, from Broken Hill, is in his fourth year of Bachelor Pharmacy at CSU at Wagga Wagga. He is also the Head Resident of the Halls of Residence at the University’s South Campus in Wagga Wagga and involved in a number of student organisations including the Pharmers’ Society and rural health club, WARRIAHS. “Lloyd represents all that is great about pharmacy students at CSU beyond their academic achievements. Lloyd has good communication and leadership skills, a commitment to the community in which he lives and a burning desire to serve the profession well in regional NSW,” said Associate Professor Lyn Angel, Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences.
Media Note: Pharmacy student Mr Lloyd Smith is available for interview.
Print this story Oscar-winning animation director in Wagga Wagga
23 Jun 2009
The Oscar-winning computer animation director Mr Chris Landreth will visit Wagga Wagga next week to present a seminar and film night hosted by Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Visual and Performing Arts. “Mr Landreth has been at the absolute forefront of computer animation development for a decade, with each of his previous films, The End, Bingo and Ryan, representing ground-breaking leaps and demonstrating what animation was capable of depicting,” said CSU lecturer Mr Andrew Hagan. Mr Landreth will present his newest film The Spine and a reel of highlights from his previous films at a special screening on Monday 29 June. “He will talk about these works, giving particular insights into how he melds his uniquely creative visions with his highly technical approach to produce them,” said Mr Hagan. On Tuesday 30 June, Mr Landreth will present a free public seminar at CSU and provide invaluable insights to the world of computer graphics.
Media Note: An Evening with Chris Landreth will be held at the Forum 6 Cinemas in Trail St, Wagga Wagga on Monday 29 June at 7pm. The cost is $10. The public seminar, Chris Landreth Lecture: Psychologically-Driven Animation will be held on Tuesday 30 June at 10am in the Wal Fife Theatre, room 209, building 14, near car park 3, Darnell Smith Drive, CSU at Wagga Wagga. A DVD of the director's work is available for review through Ms Katrina Flaskas from CSU School of Visual and Performing Art on 6933 2473 or send an email. Still images of his work are also available from CSU Media.
Print this story Calling future robotic engineers
23 Jun 2009
Lecturers and PhD students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) will judge the 2009 RoboCup Junior Central West competition at Dubbo Christian School on Thursday 25 June. They will also offer technical advice to school students and their teachers at the event. Associate lecturer and PhD student Mr Allen Benter, from the School of Accounting and Computer Science at CSU at Bathurst, said RoboCup Junior is aimed at primary to secondary school children and introduces students to the international RoboCup World Championship. “RoboCup Junior focuses not only on engineering and computing skills, but also emphasises sportsmanship, teamwork, cooperation and organisational skills. The participants must construct and program a robot to compete in one of three events; Dance, Rescue or Soccer. The winners of the regional competition then advance to the state competition,” said Mr Benter, who is a PhD student with the Newcrest Mining Research Laboratory at the Universty’s Centre for Research in Complex Systems (CRiCS).
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. Other CSU School of Accounting and Computer Science staff attending will be Dr Michael Antolovich, Dr Richard Xu and PhD student Mr Dwaine Bailey. They will demonstrate current CSU research in computer vision, robotics and gaming technologies and will highlight the research and teaching facilities at CSU at Bathurst. RoboCup is an international competition and conference promoting artificial intelligence and robotic research around the world.
Print this story Taking the joy of science to Albury
23 Jun 2009
Igniting an interest in all areas of science is the goal behind expos being hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Albury-Wodonga this week. Local high and primary school students will attend the Science in the Bush expo in Albury on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June. The days will include exhibitions, interactive talks, shows and workshops about all things science. Topics to be presented by a range of science organisations such as CSU, The University of Sydney, the Powerhouse Museum and Australian Museum include: ‘Life in a bucket of dirt’; ‘I like to move it, move it’; ‘All from a drop of blood’; and ‘Invertebrates, the backbones of our rivers’. Science in the Bush is hosted by CSU as a part of the Science in the City project run by the Australian Museum and its Executive Partner, The University of Sydney. A comprehensive program of activities can be found here.
Media Note: Science in the Bush is supported by the Australian Government through the Science Connections Programme of the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. The activities start at 10am at various sites from 9.30am at CSU’s Thurgoona site on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June. Read more here. Print this story Student acts for environment
23 Jun 2009
A veterinary science student at Charles Sturt University (CSU) is driving the renewal of environmental activism within the student body at CSU at Wagga Wagga. While a first year student in 2008, Ms Gemma Hawkins from Wagga Wagga established the Eco Active Club with 10 inaugural student members. Support has risen to 50 members in 2009. The group is involved with environmental advocacy in areas such as recycling, promoting transport such as bus and cycling and annual events like Clean Up Australia Day, Earth Hour and World Environment Day. The club also organises student outdoor activities such as rock climbing. With the support of the CSU Division of Facilities Management, Ms Hawkins pushed ahead with a student vegetable garden on campus with the first planting taking place in early June. “I’m hoping the concept of the garden will eventually expand to a common art space for students and the wider community,” said Ms Hawkins. “I feel there is a culture of change sweeping through the University and the student body is embracing action and more practical outcomes for the environment.”
Media Note: CSU student Ms Gemma Hawkins will attend the inaugural national youth climate summit, PowerShift Youth Conference in Sydney from Saturday 11 July to Monday 13 July. She will be accompanied by eight students and staff from CSU at Wagga Wagga. A further 10 students from CSU at Albury-Wodonga will also attend the PowerShift Youth Conference including members of the group, Green Adventure People (GAP). CSU student and GAP president Ms Erin Raggatt is available for interview.
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Frost and fog greeted athletes on the first day of competition at the 2009 Eastern University Games that started at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst on Monday 6 July. The cool weather remained but cleared for the successful completion of all rounds of competition. Teams manager for the CSU teams, Mr Nik Granger, said that the more than 1 500 participants from 15 universities were assured that while Bathurst weather isn’t always like this, it could be worse. “At least it’s not windy and snowing,” Mr Granger joked. “Last week, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Goulter, suggested that the weather could provide our CSU teams with a home-town advantage, but I suspect that all the competing students come from such a wide range of geographical backgrounds that whatever the weather, it will still be a level playing field. Our main wish is that all the participants enjoy a wonderful competition and return safely to their home campuses with fond memories of their time at Bathurst and CSU.”
A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic has been recognised for her work in improving the clinical experience of health students at CSU at Albury-Wodonga. Ms Kristy Robson from the
The 2009 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence at Charles Sturt University (CSU) has been presented to Central West ‘local’ Dr Jennifer Sappey, from Oberon, who came to work at Mitchell College of Advanced Education – one of CSU’s predecessor institutions - in 1974 before enrolling to study there in 1975. “For me, education is about social justice, for the individual and the wider community,” Dr Sappey said. “My commitment to education lies in its role as a social equaliser, leading me to an emphasis on bridging theory to practice and my students’ own life experiences. My disciplinary lens, industrial sociology, allows me to understand that teaching is not just something I ‘do’ but who I ‘am’, and my strong belief in Charles Sturt University as a place of inspiration and hope which changes peoples’ lives, both young and old, lies at the heart of my own story.” Dr Sappey taught at other universities before returning to CSU in 2002 to take up a role as lecturer in Management. In 2007 she was appointed to her current role as lecturer in Sociology in the
The
The success of the inaugural equine school held during the Easter school holiday break at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Orange has prompted organiser Ms Cheryl Gander to continue the program. The next school will be held from Tuesday 21 to Friday 24 July. “All the participants enjoyed themselves immensely and came away feeling they had learned valuable horsemanship skills as well as new handling techniques and a better understanding of the general welfare and nutrition of their equine friends,” said Ms Gander from the
The shift in counselling technique from focussing on a client’s problem and where the problem originated from, to concentrating on solutions to the issue has been highlighted in a new book by Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic and counsellor, Ms Stephanie Johnson. Solution focused counselling... Keeping it Real, discusses the philosophy of solution focused counselling, now used in most government and non-government agencies, particularly in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. The eBook provides step-by-step examples of the techniques and principles of solution focused. “This is a book for therapists, social workers, psychologists and allied health professionals in the brief family therapy,” said Ms Johnson. “This is a book for those who are interested in using solution focus in their work and want to know more. Solution focused counselling fitted my counselling approach perfectly. It maintains that the client is the expert in their own life and that the problem is the problem; the client is not the problem. This book is the accumulation of 14 years of counselling practice - I felt that there was a gap in the market for information for beginning practitioners around solution focused counselling.”
When the week-long live-to-air music festival Sounds Live returns to Bathurst community radio station
Half-way through her veterinary science studies at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga, Ms Simone Lee is putting her scholarship funds to good use. Ms Lee from Mathoura, between Deniliquin and Echuca, won the 2009 Greenham Dairy Scholarship worth $10 000. The funds are being used by the CSU student to meet the costs of the practical experience in her course such as accommodation and travel, including four weeks work in the field in 2009. She has undertaken placements at her home town of Mathoura in NSW as well as in Corryong and Tatura in Victoria. “I spent one year on a dairy farm before starting my degree at CSU in 2007 and it is there that I developed a strong interest in working with dairy cattle,” said Ms Lee. “This generous scholarship has made a big difference to my life of study and work at CSU.” The annual scholarship, offered by H W Greenham and Sons in Tongala, Victoria, aims to promote education within the dairy industry and to encourage people to undertake further studies and make a commitment to the industry.
Identifying animals destined for the abattoir and cloning smelly plants are just some of the activities on offer to high school students in the Riverina at the Agricultural Enrichment Day on Monday 6 July at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga. Hosted by the
The extensive research work of Charles Sturt University (CSU) ecologist, Associate Professor Gary Luck in the area of biodiversity conservation has been publicly acknowledged in the 2009 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence. The Vice-Chancellor and President of CSU Professor Ian Goulter announced on Monday 22 June the recipients of this year’s awards to academic and general staff. The Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence has gone to Associate Professor Luck from the
To say the odds are long when it comes to the chance of winning the largest lottery draw in Australian history on Tuesday 30 June is an understatement. Professor Nick Klomp, Dean of the Faculty of Science at Charles Sturt University (CSU), puts the chance of winning the jackpot in the $90 million Oz Lotto draw next week at one in 45 million. “If you want an even chance to win the first division just once in your life, you would have to buy a 10-game ticket every single week of your life, even when a baby,” said Professor Klomp. However the CSU academic adds “oh, and you’d have to live to be over 87 000 years old”. “You are much, much more likely to die from being struck by lightning than pick the seven winning numbers by playing a single game next week.” Professor Klomp usually advises people to keep their money in their pocket. He sees lottery tickets as voluntary taxes for people who are lousy at mathematics, but the size of this jackpot makes it worth thinking about.“In any normal week, the best way to be a winner is to put the money you were going to spend on lottery tickets into a savings plan,” said Professor Klomp. “However a $90 million lottery is not normal. As soon as the first division prize goes over $50 million, the potential payback becomes worth the investment. It doesn’t increase your chances of winning; it just makes it mathematically more sensible to buy a ticket.” Professor Klomp is keen to point out that all of this assumes that if you win the jackpot, you aren’t sharing it. “You need the potential payback to be at least 45 million times every dollar you spend. So long as you don’t think it’s an investment and you get your money back in fun, then go ahead and enjoy yourself,” advises Professor Klomp.
After 35 years at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst and its predecessor institution Mitchell College of Advanced Education (MCAE), Associate Professor Leonora Ritter, Head of the
The idea that employment automatically leads to personal well-being and social inclusion is being questioned by a Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher. In an address to the 2009 Social Inclusion Forum in Melbourne on Thursday 25 June, Dr Helen Masterman-Smith will question what, if anything, the Federal Government’s Social Inclusion Agenda (SIA) has done to address the kinds of barriers that low paid workers encounter. “Labour market participation is a cornerstone of the whole-of-government approach that the Commonwealth is developing to improve social inclusion. However, its SIA recognises that low pay and poor job quality often derail this key objective.” A sociology lecturer and co-author of the book Living Low Paid, Dr Masterman-Smith says the difficulties of ‘making work pay’ at the bottom end of the labour market is a social inclusion challenge that has yet to receive the policy or public attention it warrants. She will also comment on whether the Australian labour market and economy can actually deliver a ‘just transition’ to a low-carbon economy, through the Emissions Trading Scheme, or whether such a transition will simply reproduce current labour market inequalities.
A pharmacy student at Charles Sturt University (CSU) has been named the NSW Pharmacy Student of Year by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA). Mr Lloyd Smith was named the winner in Sydney on Saturday 13 June during a pharmacy expo hosted by the PSA. Sponsored by the company Alphapharm, the competition tests the communication and counselling skills of final year pharmacy students. Mr Smith will now compete for the national title of Pharmacy Student of the Year during the PSA’s annual Pharmacy Australia Congress in Sydney from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 October. Mr Smith, from Broken Hill, is in his fourth year of Bachelor Pharmacy at CSU at Wagga Wagga. He is also the Head Resident of the Halls of Residence at the University’s South Campus in Wagga Wagga and involved in a number of student organisations including the Pharmers’ Society and rural health club, WARRIAHS. “Lloyd represents all that is great about pharmacy students at CSU beyond their academic achievements. Lloyd has good communication and leadership skills, a commitment to the community in which he lives and a burning desire to serve the profession well in regional NSW,” said Associate Professor Lyn Angel, Head of the
The Oscar-winning computer animation director Mr Chris Landreth will visit Wagga Wagga next week to present a seminar and film night hosted by Charles Sturt University’s (CSU)
A veterinary science student at Charles Sturt University (CSU) is driving the renewal of environmental activism within the student body at CSU at Wagga Wagga. While a first year student in 2008, Ms Gemma Hawkins from Wagga Wagga established the Eco Active Club with 10 inaugural student members. Support has risen to 50 members in 2009. The group is involved with environmental advocacy in areas such as recycling, promoting transport such as bus and cycling and annual events like Clean Up Australia Day, Earth Hour and World Environment Day. The club also organises student outdoor activities such as rock climbing. With the support of the CSU Division of Facilities Management, Ms Hawkins pushed ahead with a student vegetable garden on campus with the first planting taking place in early June. “I’m hoping the concept of the garden will eventually expand to a common art space for students and the wider community,” said Ms Hawkins. “I feel there is a culture of change sweeping through the University and the student body is embracing action and more practical outcomes for the environment.”