• Charles Sturt hosts the first online symposium for Higher Degree by Research and Honours students in the Faculty of Science to present their research projects

Charles Sturt University is hosting its first-ever online symposium for research students in the Faculty of Science to showcase their projects.

More than 60 of the University’s Higher Degree by Research and Honours students have been invited to present their research as part of the symposium, which started on Thursday 26 August and runs until Friday 4 September.

This year students will have the chance to present their research to an even larger audience, with the symposium being held online and open to members of the public for the first time.

Charles Sturt Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Engagement) Professor Heather Cavanagh said the symposium will showcase the wide variety of meaningful and impactful research being conducted within the University’s Faculty of Science.

“A large variety of research topics will be showcased during our online symposium, including how our research can make a real difference to the lives and livelihood of our local, national and international communities,” Professor Cavanagh said.

“The symposium will include research that investigates fundamental human needs, such as food and water, through to the health of both humans and the environment.

“I encourage members of our University community and the public to join the symposium and find out more about the many diverse and innovative research projects being conducted by students in our Faculty of Science.

“It is also a valuable opportunity for our research students to strengthen their presentation skills, receive feedback about their projects, and learn more the research being conducted by their peers.”

The symposium will include 63 student presentations over 13 sessions, as well as four professional development workshops for research students hosted by Dr Inger Mewburn, Director of Researcher Development at the Australian National University.

A full list of the session times and the presentation topics is available in the symposium brochure. The brochure includes the ZOOM links for each session.

Some of the student presentation topics include:

• An examination of the lived experiences of Indigenous women in elite and sub-elite Australian rules football and rugby league, by Tracey Gale
• The use of social media to communicate suicidality by young people and its implications in rural and remote New South Wales, by Annie Fardell Hartley
• Australian working horse welfare, by Karly Liffen
• Modelling impact of climate and market variability on land use and profitability of Australian wheat growers, by Nan Wang
• Using co-design with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in remote communities, to create animated films that communicate animal health information as an educational resource for the community, by Bernard Higgins
• Parasites and other biosecurity hazards in imported edible seafood products, by Shelley Williams
• Unlocking the keys to ewe survival, by Mary McQuillan
• Predicting rice whole grain yield, by Allister Clarke

The Charles Sturt Faculty of Science Higher Degree Research and Honours Symposium will be held via ZOOM from Thursday 26 August to Friday 4 September.

A number of the research projects students are presenting are supported by the Charles Sturt Institute for Land, Water and Society, Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, and National Wine and Grape Industry Centre.