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BATHURST
Home > Regional News > Bathurst
Scholarships help students tap into IT future
28 Apr 2009
 Charles Sturt University (CSU) will be well represented at a key international event for developers and IT professionals in June. The week-long Apple World-Wide Developers Conference 2009 (WWDC) will be held in San Francisco, California,from Monday 8 June,and third year Bachelor of Computer Science (Games Technology) student Mr David Winder, from Bathurst, has won a $3 200 Apple University Consortium (AUC) Competitive Student Scholarship to attend. “To be able to meet and communicate with some of the leading intellects in the industry is extremely exciting,” said Mr Winder. He’ll be joining CSU PhD student Mr James Bekkema who received a two year AUC Student Developer Scholarship in 2008 to attend the same event. “The conference is vital for those who work or study in the computer industry as the sessions provide incredibly valuable information on the current and future state of software technologies, such as OpenCL and ‘Grand Central’,” said Mr Bekkema, who is also based in Bathurst. “However one of the most important aspects of WWDC is the networking. I have met extremely talented developers and have made valuable contacts within the industry.”
Media Note: Two students are studying through the School of Accounting and Computer Science at CSU at Bathurst. Mr Bekkema’s PhD research topic is Distributed Real-Time Interactive Simulations on the Cell Broadband Engine. He is examining using multiple Cell processor based systems that have been networked together to increase the performance of real-time interactive simulations, e.g. computer games. Print this story Weeds in the tropics
28 Apr 2009
 A new book by a Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher aims to provide environmentally friendly solutions for invasive weeds which cause major problems for agriculture, particularly in tropical regions of developing countries. Biological control of tropical weeds using arthropods, by Dr Anantanarayanan Raman, a senior lecturer at CSU and a researcher at the E H Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, covers the origin, distribution, and ecology of 20 key invasive weed species that occur mostly in the tropics. Dr Raman says cost-efficient biological control is a self-sustaining way to reduce this problem, and produces fewer effects than chemical methods, which can cause serious damage to the environment.’s “The book contains information about the sustainable biological control of each weed using insects and mites,” he said. “It is a valuable resource for scientists and policy makers concerned with invasive tropical weeds and their spread, and will also assist in the assessment of potential risks to native and economic plants.”
Media Note: Dr Raman is a senior lecturer in the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences at CSU at Orange and a researcher with the E H Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, a collaborative alliance between CSU and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. His new book Biological control of tropical weeds using arthropods was published in March 2009 by Cambridge University Press. Further information is available here. Dr Raman is currently working on a book on humane agricultural management and conducting further research on interactions between insects and plants. Print this story Scholarship for rural health merger study
28 Apr 2009
 A Charles Sturt University (CSU) student has secured a national scholarship to assist her research into the development of multi-purpose health services in rural NSW. PhD student Ms Judith Anderson is the recipient of the Joan Hardy Scholarship from the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU). The Joan Hardy Scholarship for postgraduate nursing research recognises the contributions the late Joan Hardy made to higher education and higher education unionism.“I was involved in a small rural health service when it became a ‘multi-purpose service’, making me intrigued by the cultural change and leading me to begin my study in 2006,” said Ms Anderson, who is studying through the School of Nursing and Midwifery at CSU at Bathurst. Her thesis examines the process of developing this new model of health care for small rural communities. “As the majority of staff and managers who work at these facilities are nurses, this study aims to give them a voice, enabling them to describe current practices and their roles within this process. I hope that recommendations and guidelines will emerge from this to enable the process to be improved in the future.”
Media Note: Ms Anderson plans to submit her thesis, A qualitative review of the change process which occurs in small rural health services during mergers in 2009. Print this story CSU students honour ANZACs
24 Apr 2009
 Students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) will honour the men and women of Australia’s armed services, past and present, when they lay a wreath at the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at the Carillon War Memorial in Kings Parade, Bathurst, on Saturday 25 April. Mr Tim East, a third year student at the School of Teacher Education and the head resident of Chifley Halls at the CSU Bathurst Campus, said that today’s students want to play a part to continue and preserve the ANZAC legacy. “CSU students attended the Dawn Service last year and felt they were missing out,” Mr East said. “We wanted to unite the University’s student community with the rest of Bathurst, and to formally pay our respect on behalf of the residences at CSU. Many of us have family members who served in the armed forces, or have mates who are serving now. We want CSU students to stand proud as Australians and hold the values of determination, courage, compassion and resourcefulness throughout their lives.”
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Mr Tim East. Print this story On Australian education in a greener world
21 Apr 2009
 Education, industrial relations and a low carbon future is the topic of a public lecture to be presented by Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) President Sharan Burrow at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury on Thursday 23 April. Ms Burrow says Australian education institutions are well placed to deepen workforce planning and frame skills development to meet the challenges facing Australia. "We must position ourselves to ensure we have the education and skills to capture a half trillion dollar share of a three trillion dollar global green industry. Our universities and colleges, businesses and unions, must drive demand for research and development and for an intensity of skills effort like never before, and government must stand ready to partner these plans. Our workplaces must meet the industrial challenges and changes this new economy requires," Ms Burrow said. The second annual Bob Meyenn Education Lecture will commence at 7.30pm in the Nowik Auditorium, CSU Albury City site, Guinea St, Albury.
Media Note: For interviews with ACTU President, Ms Sharan Burrow, contact CSU Media. Print this story Bathurst Alumni Common proclaimed
15 Apr 2009
.jpg) The Bathurst Alumni Common will be dedicated by Charles Sturt University (CSU) Council on Saturday 18 April as part of the University’s 20th anniversary celebrations. The establishment of the Bathurst Alumni Common, which is bounded by Allen House, the Ponton Theatre, Cunningham House and the Heffron Building, aims to honour the student and staff alumni of the Bathurst Experimental Farm (BEF), Bathurst Teachers College (BTC), Mitchell College of Advanced Education (MCAE) and Charles Sturt University (CSU). The Deputy Chancellor of CSU, Ms Kathryn Pitkin, will preside at the unveiling and proclamation which will also include the official unveiling of the Bathurst Teachers College Commemorative Water Feature, a tree planting in memory of Lionel J Allen, and a tree planting to mark the 25th anniversary of the naming of the Ponton Theatre. Mrs Margaret Allen and family will plant the Lionel J Allen tree, and Ms Sarah Ponton, the daughter of Mr Frank Ponton for whom the Theatre is named, and Mr Bill Blaikie, a former lecturer in drama at the CSU School of Communication, will plant the Ponton Theatre tree.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. The dedication and proclamation celebrations will take place from 12pm to 2pm on Saturday 18 April. The exhibition is one of many events to mark 20 years of CSU during 2009. See more 20th anniversary events here. Print this story Water saving leads way on environmental scorecard
14 Apr 2009
Charles Sturt University (CSU) has already reached its 2015 target for water savings having slashed its water use by over 40 per cent in the past two years. These figures were highlighted in the 2008 CSU Environmental Scorecard recently released by the University. “This is a fantastic effort across the whole University, all the more important as most of these campuses are or have been in drought declared areas across NSW,” said William Adlong, Manager of CSU’s sustainability office, CSU Green. “Water usage at CSU in 2008 decreased by 16 per cent.” Energy use has decreased by eight per cent since 2006, with a slight increase by 1.5 percent during 2008. “However, there has been an increase in the area of buildings heated and cooled as CSU continued its extensive building program in 2007 and 2008,” said CSU Energy Manager Edward Maher. CSU is also addressing the carbon emissions caused by its staff travelling in cars and aircraft by replacing its large petrol cars with hybrid, diesel and small four cylinder cars in 2009.
Media Note: For interviews with CSU Green manager, Mr William Adlong, or Energy Manager, Mr Edward Maher, contact CSU Media. The 2008 CSU Environmental Scorecard is available here. Print this story Dedication of water feature
14 Apr 2009
.jpg) The most significant sculpture or art work commissioned by Charles Sturt University (CSU) will be dedicated at a special 20th anniversary event at the Bathurst Campus on Saturday 18 April. Intended as a lasting memorial to the students and staff of Bathurst Teachers College (BTC), the Bathurst Teachers College Commemorative Water Feature is now a focal point within the Bathurst Alumni Common. In 2005, Dr Peter Wilson, ceramic artist and sculptor, alumnus of Mitchell College of Advanced Education and senior lecturer in creative arts at the CSU School of Teacher Education, was commissioned to design and create the feature. “The concept I developed is loosely based on the spiralled nautilus shell, where the fins all emanate from a central point, spiralling outwards. This represents the paths our students take but forever stay connected by their shared experiences and commitment to the creation of new knowledge for the next generation,” Dr Wilson said.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. The dedication will be from 12pm to 2pm on Saturday 18 April at CSU at the Bathurst Alumni Common on Bathurst Campus. The water feature was commissioned by the Charles Sturt Foundation, with financial support from the Bathurst Teachers College Alumni Association, Charles Sturt Foundation - Bathurst Campus Development Committee, and the University. The exhibition is one of many events to mark 20 years of CSU during 2009. See more 20th anniversary events here. Print this story Paramedics in Australia a national first
14 Apr 2009
 A Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer has co-edited a new textbook, Paramedics in Australia, which is the first ever written by and for Australian paramedics, or ambulance officers. Coeditor Associate Professor Peter O’Meara, who is Associate Head of the CSU School of Biomedical Sciences at Bathurst, says for the first time Australian paramedics have been given a voice through publication of a book on paramedic practice which is also a step toward paramedics forging their own professional identity.“Paramedics in Australia explores the challenges that Australian paramedics face daily within a sometimes volatile social and political context of changing technological and clinical practice options, and with ambulance authorities dealing with ever-rising expectations from the community, the health system and government. Most chapters are written by paramedic academics or practicing paramedics drawn from five States, which make it a truly national book. Chapter one is the only known national history of ambulance services in Australia.”
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Associate Professor Peter O’Meara. Paramedics in Australia is published by Pearson Publishing and will be launched at the Ambulance Education Centre in Rozelle, Sydney, on Tuesday 21 April. The book also discusses issues such as clinical decision making, dealing with mental health emergencies, and managing paramedics’ own stress. Print this story Lecturers to coach Indonesian coaches
14 Apr 2009
.JPG) Lecturers at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Human Movement Studies have secured a contract with Indonesia’s State Ministry of Youth and Sport Affairs to provide education programs for the coaches of elite athletes. Dr Stephen Bird and Mr Ben Barrington-Higgs secured the contract, which is in addition to their contract to provide strength and conditioning training for elite athletes, after 10 Indonesian national sports coaches undertook intensive training for an Advanced Certificate in Sport Conditioning at CSU at Bathurst in December last year. “We’re very excited to be an international industry partner of this program because the Ministry is dedicated to improving performance through education of their coaches and athletes,” Dr Bird said. “We will continue to provide expertise to our northern neighbours following the improved performance of Indonesian athletes at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.” Dr Bird and Mr Barrington-Higgs depart for Riau and Surabaya in Indonesia on Monday 20 April as part of preparations for the next South-East Asian Games in December.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Dr Stephen Bird or Mr Ben Barrington-Higgs. Print this story |
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