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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 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 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 Broadband on track
07 Apr 2009
 The Federal Government has finally got the plan right for the National Broadband Network (NBN) according to Charles Sturt University (CSU) adjunct researcher Mr Peter Adams. Mr Adams, who has studied household broadband adoption for the past seven years, said today's announcement by the Rudd Government that it would form a public-private partnership to build the NBN is the best outcome from what has been an issue poorly managed by successive governments."Having the Commonwealth control the building of such important national infrastructure will ultimately achieve the best outcome for broadband users by ensuring there is clear separation between the provider of the cables and the commercial companies who compete to service consumers.” The researcher from CSU's Centre for Research in Complex Systems warned the Rudd Government now has a big job: it will manage the building of the network, and needs to convince households they will be better off under the proposed NBN. "Research conducted at CSU in 2008 showed householders are not convinced they should spend their income on higher speed broadband. Clear information must be provided to consumers about the benefits of NBN services."
Media Note: Mr Peter Adams is based in Wagga Wagga and can be contacted on mobile 0438 255 964. He is an adjunct researcher with CSU's Centre for Research in Complex Systems.
Print this story Casella art competition
07 Apr 2009
 Melbourne artist Mr Warren Lane has been named the winner of the 2009 Casella Art Prize at the Griffith Regional Art Gallery. Judge and Head of the Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Visual and Performing Arts, Associate Professor Margaret Woodward, selected Lane’s work, The Accidental Activist to win the $2 500 Casella Art Prize for Excellence in Painting. "The exhibition's theme of urban and built environment has an important role to play in how we understand and reflect the places we inhabit, visit and construct,” said Professor Woodward. “Skilfully executed and very firmly set in an urban environment, Lane's painting invites us to consider the tension between the natural and built environment and to be mindful of the natural world in contemporary urban life.” Now in its fourth year, the Casella Art Prize aims to support new, emerging and established artists within Australia. The exhibition will run at the Griffith Regional Art Gallery until Sunday 26 April.
Media Note: For interviews, contact CSU Media. Print this story Valuing our natural places
10 Mar 2009
 People in and around Maryborough and Castlemaine in Central Victoria will soon be able to have their say on how communities value natural assets. Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher and PhD student Ms Eloise Seymour is hoping for over 500 replies to a mail survey she is sending out which will give her feedback on how people value local environmental assets such as the local Box-Ironbark Forests, the Moorlort wetlands, and the Loddon River between Baringhup and Vaughan Springs. “The Moorlort wetlands have been dry for 10 years due to the drought but local farmers have said how important they are for bird migration and how spectacular they used to be. Survey participants should consider how they value wetlands now and in the past,” Ms Seymour said. The survey, which should take 20 minutes to complete, will be sent to people living in small towns, regional centres, on farms and with special interests such as field naturalists. “The survey results will help develop better ways for environmental organisations in Australia to decide what natural places should receive government funding and resources,” Ms Seymour said.
Media Note: For interviews with Ms Eloise Seymour on her research project titled ‘Considering community values for natural assets in regional Natural Resource Management decision making’, contact Margrit Beemster on (02) 6051 9653. Her research is funded by the Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre and is part of the Institute for Land, Water and Society. Survey results should be distributed to respondents by August 2009. Print this story New scholarships for regional learning
18 Nov 2008
 Charles Sturt University (CSU) will offer 20 scholarships that encourage joint studies between the University and TAFE colleges. The CSU Rural Learning Partnership Scholarships, each worth $2 000 for one year, are aimed at full-time students in need of financial assistance who are completing such courses such as the Bachelor of Business Studies in Griffith. Students with disabilities, from non-English speaking backgrounds or who are Indigenous are encouraged to apply for the competitive grants which can pay for accommodation, tuition fees, books and computers. CSU’s Head of School of Business and Information Studies, Associate Professor John Atkinson, said the Rural Learning Partnership Scholarships aim to redress some of the current financial inequities of tertiary study in regional Australia by helping students with genuine financial difficulties. The scholarships will be launched in Griffith on Thursday 20 November by CSU and NSW TAFE Riverina Institute at an integrated Business program information session.
Media Note: For interviews with Head of the School of Business and Information Studies, Associate Professor John Atkinson, contact CSU Media. The integrated Business program information session will be held at the Gemini Hotel, Griffith, from 6 to 7pm on Thursday 20 November. Print this story Where are the frogs hiding?
14 Oct 2008
Frogs will be in the spotlight at a ‘talk and walk’ along the banks of Kings Billabong, near the Murray River at Mildura led by Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher Ms Sascha Healy. The talk to be held on Thursday 16 October will focus on the types of frogs living in the area, where they are found, and how to identify them by sight and sound. Ms Healy is currently undertaking surveys of frogs in the Wentworth and Mildura region as part of a project led by CSU researcher Dr Skye Wassens and funded by the Murray Wetlands Working Group looking at the breeding responses of frogs in wetlands along the Murray River.
Media Note: Interested people are welcome to attend the talk and spotlight walk from 8pm – 9pm on 16 October at the Kings Billabong, Mildura. People are requested to arrive from 7.30pm onwards and are encouraged to bring torches, sturdy walking shoes and any frog call recordings, photos and questions. Print this story Asimus honoured at CSU
05 Feb 2008
More than 500 mourners have attended a memorial service at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Wagga Wagga Campus on Monday 4 February to honour former Chancellor, Dr David Asimus, AO, who died on Australia Day 2008. Moving tributes to Dr Asimus were delivered in eulogies from Ian Macintosh, Ian Sully and son-in-law James Sutherland. The congregation included the Hon. Kay Hull, federal Member for Riverina; The Hon. Daryl McGuire, NSW Member for Wagga; John Fairfax, Chairman, Fairfax Media, the Hon. Tim Fischer, Former Deputy Prime Minister; The Rev. Archbishop Francis Carroll, Catholic Bishop of Canberra; Mr Lawrie Willet AO, Chancellor CSU and Mr James Sutherland, CEO Cricket Australia. Dr Asimus was elected the foundation Chancellor of CSU in 1989 and served in this post until 2002. As Chancellor, he oversaw the integration of the Riverina-Murray Institute of Higher Education and Mitchell College of Advanced Education to form the new Charles Sturt University.
Media Note: For interviews contact CSU Media. Print this story CSU condolence book for founding chancellor
29 Jan 2008
Following the death of the former Charles Sturt University (CSU) Chancellor, Dr David Asimus, AO, on Saturday 26 January 2008, the University has today opened an electronic condolences book. The University invites members of the community to express their condolences to Dr Asimus’ family. The condolences book will remain open until Friday 8 February 2008. The University will then collate the correspondence into a bound booklet to present to Dr Asimus’ widow, Jane and her family as a memorial to her late husband’s work with CSU and inland Australia. People wishing to extend a condolence are asked to please email their comments by Friday 8 February 2008.
Media Note: Details of Dr David Asimus’ life and work can be found here. Print this story |
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