A career-long commitment to protect children and young people at risk in NSW will be recognised during graduation at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga.

The achievements of the District Director of the Murrumbidgee/Far West District of the Department of Family and Community Services, Ms Glynis Ingram will be publicly honoured as more than 1 100 graduates receive their undergraduate and postgraduate awards at ceremonies from Monday 14 December to Wednesday 16 December.

More than 3 000 guests are expected to attend the six graduation ceremonies in the University's Joyes Hall, Pine Gully Road.

Highlights include:

9.30am, Monday 14 December

Graduates are from the Faculty of Arts, including the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Communication and Creative Industries and the School of Psychology.

- The Occasional Address will be delivered by the District Director of the Murrumbidgee/Far West District of the Department of Family and Community Services, Ms Glynis Ingram. Ms Ingram will also be awarded the honorary title of Doctor of Arts (honoris causa) for her 'significant contribution to regional Australia, our communities and to CSU through her tireless work to protect children and young people who are most at risk of abuse, and the delivery of community and human services in some of the most remote and isolated areas of NSW'. 

- Awards will be conferred by CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann.

- CSU lecturer in photography, Dr Jamie Holcombe will be awarded his PhD by art practice (photography) titled Civic Melancholy: An investigation into the notion of melancholy in the photograph, focusing on the urban landscape in a Regional Australian context. Read more about the project on CSU News here. 

- Artist, CSU academic and finalist in the 2015 Archibald Prize Dr Tony Curran will also be awarded a PhD, Self Aesthetics: Towards a contemporary poetics of portraiture. 

- CSU lecturer in psychology, Dr Rachel Hogg will be awarded a PhD, Equestrian partnerships: A qualitative investigation of the relationship between horse and rider in elite equestrian sports, which involved interviewing more than 30 elite Australian and international riders. Read more in CSU News here. 

235 graduates and more than 640 guests are due to attend this ceremony.

3pm, Monday 14 December

Graduates are from the Faculty of Education, including the School of Education and the School of Information Studies.

- The Occasional Address will be delivered the Federal Member for Riverina Mr Michael McCormack, MP.

- Awards will be conferred by CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann.

- CSU Executive Dean of Science, Professor Tim Wess will be among 17 graduates awarded a Graduate Certificate in Wiradjuri Language, Culture and Heritage. Read more about the program in CSU News here.

- Bachelor of Education (Primary) graduate Ms Kristie Davis from Darlington Point will be awarded the Primary Teaching Graduate Prize by the Primary English Teaching Association Australia.

269 graduates and more than 720 guests are due to attend this ceremony in Joyes Hall.

9.30am, Tuesday 16 December

Graduates are from the Faculty of Business, including the School of Computing and Mathematics, the School of Management and Marketing, and the School of Accounting and Finance.

- The Occasional Address will be delivered by Deputy Chairman of Regional Express Airlines, The Hon. John Sharp.

- Awards will be conferred by CSU Deputy Chancellor Mr Peter Hayes. 

- Dr Stacey Jenkins will be awarded her PhD, Work-Life Balance Responsiveness in Australian Small and Medium Enterprises, which examined what organisational characteristics influenced the take-up of work-life balance practices of small and medium businesses. Dr Jenkins will be awarded the Joss Group Outstanding Thesis Prize for the student who achieved the most outstanding overall results upon completion of a postgraduate research course within the Faculty of Business.

206 graduates and more than 500 guests are due to attend this ceremony.

3pm, Tuesday 16 December

Graduates are from the Faculty of Science, including the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences; School of Community Health and the School of Nursing Midwifery and Indigenous Health.

The Occasional Address will be delivered by CSU Professor of Nursing Linda Shields. Professor Shields was recently made a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing for her research to improve the care for children and their families. Read more in CSU News here. 

- Awards will be conferred by CSU Deputy Chancellor Mr Peter Hayes.

- Bachelor of Nursing student Ms Melissa Monk will travel from Townsville to graduate at the ceremony after completing some of her study online. She plans to undertake Honours research next year and has a particular interest in aged care.

- The first cohort of Bachelor of Agribusiness Management students will graduate including Mr Stuart Kemp who is the Chief Executive of the Northern Territory Livestock Exporters Association.

- Bachelor of Agribusiness Management graduate, Ms Lucy Potter is the third generation of her family with a strong association with CSU. Ms Potter's father Mr Chris Potter is a Bachelor of Agricultural Science alumni and her grandfather Mr Ron Potter AO was instrumental in the establishment of wine science education at CSU.

- The 2015 Australian Young Farmer of the Year Ms Anika Molesworth is back from the United Nation's Conference on Climate Change in Paris and will be awarded a Master of Sustainable Agriculture. Read more in CSU News here.

- Receiving her PhD titled Sensory characterisation and consumer preferences of cooked Australian desi chickpeas, will hold special significance for Dr Soumi Paul Mukhopadhyay whose parents have travelled from the Indian town of Chinsurah for the ceremony. Dr Paul Mukhopadhyay's research findings will provide information for developing market opportunities for Australian desi chickpeas. The CSU graduate has secured a job as a Sensory Technologist Australia at Goodman Fielder in Sydney.

180 graduates and more than 500 guests are due to attend this ceremony.

9.30am, Wednesday 17 December

Graduates from the Faculty of Science, including the School of Biomedical Sciences; the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences and the School of Human Movement Studies.

- The Occasional Address will be delivered by Executive Director of the Centre for Population Health, NSW Ministry of Health, Dr Jo Mitchell.

- Awards will be conferred by CSU Deputy Chancellor Mr Peter Hayes.

- Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition and Dietetics) graduate Ms Eloise Heaney will be awarded the University Medal.

- CSU Bachelor of Oral Health discipline leader, Dr Helen Tane will be awarded her PhD. Her thesis explores the preventive role of oral health therapists and their ability to promote and improve individual and community health at individual practitioner, health management and government level by applying principles of primary health care, health promotion and disease prevention. 

- Bachelor of Oral Health graduate, Ms Sophie L'Estrange will be the first Indigenous graduate of the oral health program. Ms L'Estrange was awarded a Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship. Read more in CSU News here. She was also the inaugural recipient of the Northparkes Mines Indigenous Scholarship in 2012. The CSU graduate will start work in 2016 with the Poche Centre of Indigenous Health in Western NSW.

- Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition and Dietetics) Honours graduate Ms Meg Ryan's research has examined the impact on cooking on the antioxidant properties of coloured rice.

- PhDs will be awarded to Dr Briony McGrath, Dr Jeff Nanson and Dr Gayle Petersen. All three graduated with a Bachelor of Medical Science (pathology)/ Bachelor of Biotechnology from CSU in 2010 and they have now completed their PhD research. Dr McGrath's PhD examined how the brain controls sex hormones, Dr Nanson's research looked at combating emerging drug resistance in bacteria and Dr Petersen reprogrammed equine stem cells into neural cells to help investigate neurological disorders.

- A PhD will also be awarded to Dr Saria Hussain, her research Bioactive compounds in canola meal has examined potential benefits to human health of canola meal extracts in the treatment of cancer and obesity. Read more in CSU News here.

184 graduates and more than 538 guests are expected to attend the ceremony.

3pm, Wednesday 17 December

Graduates are from the Faculty of Science including the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and the School of Environmental Sciences.

- The Occasional Address will be delivered by Member of NSW Legislative Council and Parliamentary Secretary for Natural Resources and Regional Planning, the Hon. Rock Colless. 

- Awards will be conferred by CSU Deputy Chancellor Mr Peter Hayes.

- Endeavour Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Dr Subir Sarker will be awarded his PhD for research on Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFT), a virus which affects the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot.

- For Dr David McGill from CSU's School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, completing his PhD has been combined with managing a project through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) to increase the productivity and profitability of small-holder dairy farmers in rural communities in Pakistan.

- CSU lecturer Dr Shawn McGrath will be awarded his PhD Studies on the utilisation of dual-purpose wheat by sheep in southern NSW. Dr McGrath's research provides recommendations for mixed farmers to safely graze lambing ewes on dual purpose crops.

66 graduates and more than 190 guests are due to attend this ceremony.