A woman from Wagga Wagga is a clear reminder of how Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) is fulfilling its commitment to play a leading role in solving the rural health labour force crisis in Australia.

 

Ms Sharnie Moore is one of the 13 inaugural graduates in the Bachelor of Oral Health (Therapy/Hygiene) program to receive their degrees from University Chancellor, Mr Lawrie Willett AO from 9.30am on Wednesday 14 December   

 

A job awaits Ms Moore as an oral health therapist at Bright Smiles Dental Surgery in Wagga Wagga.

 

“After 10 years working as a dental assistant, I jumped at the chance to go to university in my home town to study to become a qualified oral health professional,” said Ms Moore. “Tertiary education wasn’t on my agenda when I finished at Mount Austin High School in 1998 but Charles Sturt University gave me an opportunity that I have relished. I really had to work hard with the science subjects, as I was studying a health science degree.”

 

Ms Moore won a three year scholarship through the Charles Sturt Foundation. She finished her degree with mainly Distinctions. The birth of her second child in 2009 didn’t slow her down either. Ms Moore’s daughter was born on a Tuesday and she was sitting her first year exams two days later.

  

The oral health program was introduced at CSU in Wagga Wagga in 2009; the same year the five year dentistry degree program began at CSU in Orange. Since that year, the University has opened Dental and Oral Health Clinics in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange and Wagga Wagga, which are taking appointments from the public.

 

“Charles Sturt University is providing health education to rural students in regional Australia, offering a chance to study degrees which would be difficult for most rural students if they were restricted to enrol in city universities,” said lecturer in oral health with the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences, Ms Helen Tane.

 

“Nearly all of our oral health graduates have employment in regional areas. I believe they will have a significant impact on improving poor oral health statistics in rural communities, as they are graduating with skills of excellence in dental therapy, dental hygiene and health promotion.”  

 

During the upcoming graduation season at CSU in Wagga Wagga from Monday 12 December to Wednesday 14 December, six ceremonies will be held in Joyes Hall for almost 960 graduates.

 

Further highlights of the six ceremonies include:

 

• Graduates from the Faculty of Business including the School of Accounting; School of Business; School of Computer and Mathematics; and International School of Business and Partnerships
  
• Guest speaker is Professor Trevor Barr, from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation at Swinburne University in Melbourne
  
• Director Commercial and Economic Development at Wagga Wagga City Council, Dr Peter Adams will be awarded his PhD titled, Household Adoption of Technology – The case of high-speed broadband in Australia. Read more on CSU News here.
  
• Ceremony includes seven Master of Business graduates from Cambodia. The graduates have studied through the Economic and Finance Institute in Phnom Penh They will be accompanied by their families
  
• Ceremony includes 21 Bachelor of Business Studies graduates who did their degree through a pathway program offered by CSU and the Canberra of Institute of Technology. Read more here
  
• Mr Bhupesh Mansukhani will travel from New Delhi in India to receive his Master of Information Technology which he completed by distance education. He will meet his lecturers for the first time from his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Mr Mansukhani has left his job as a project manager with IBM to do a PhD with CSU on cloud computing
  
•  147 graduates are due to attend this ceremony in Joyes Hall.

• Graduates from the Faculty of Arts including the School of Communication and Creative Industries; School of Humanities and Social Sciences; and School of Psychology
  
• Guest speaker is Ms Lin Hatfield Dodds, Director of UnitingCare Australia
  
• Director of the Booranga Writers’ Centre and Poet, Dr Derek Motion will receive his PhD titled Brennan, Dransfield, and Myself: A Poetics of Failure
  
• The annual Lila Kirilik Social Action Memorial Prize will be presented to Bachelor of Social Work graduate Mr Ty Green and the inaugural Anglicare Regional Alliance Prize for Service and Altruism will be presented to Bachelor of Social graduate Ms Kylie Clarke. Both awards are presented by the University’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Read more about the awards on CSU News here.
  
• During the ceremony Wagga Wagga based artist, Dr Denis O’Connor will be awarded his PhD titled Chances Taken. Opportunity, repercussion, interpretation: Portraits in time and place. Dr O’Connor will then look on with great pride as his daughter, Ms Sophie O’Connor is awarded a Bachelor of Arts. Read more on CSU News here.
  
• 250 graduates are due to attend this ceremony in Joyes Hall.

• Graduates from the Faculty of Education including the School of Education
  
• During the ceremony, Dr Amy MacDonald a lecturer in early childhood studies at the Murray School of Education at CSU in Albury-Wodonga will receive her PhD, Content, Context, and representation: Children’s measurement experiences and understandings at the start of school
  
• Guest speaker is Professor Pamela Gibbons, CSU Associate Dean International
  
• New captains of Condobolin High School, Mr Jordan Hall and Miss Ebony Davis in Year 11 will travel to Wagga Wagga participate in the academic procession during this ceremony. Read more here.
  
• 133 graduates are due to attend this ceremony in Joyes Hall.

• Graduates from the Faculty of Education including the School of Information Studies
  
• Guest speaker is Associate Professor Lynn Westbrook from the School of Information Studies at University of Texas, Austin, USA. Read more about Professor Westbrook on CSU News here
  
• 67 graduates are due to attend this ceremony in Joyes Hall.

• Graduates from the Faculty of Science including the School of Biomedical Sciences; School of Dentistry and Health Sciences; and School of Environmental Sciences
  
• Guest speaker is Dr Clive Wright, Chief Dental Officer at the Centre for Oral Heath Strategy NSW
  
• The Order of the Companion of CSU will be formally conferred on Dr Douglas Bryden AM by the University Chancellor, Mr Lawrie Willett AO. It will be presented by approximately 10.30am. Read more here
  
• Recipients of scholarships from the Rotary Club of Wagga Wagga, Wollundry valued at $6 000 each over three years include: one of the inaugural Bachelor of Oral Health (Therapy/Hygiene) graduates Ms Sharnie Moore from Wagga Wagga; and Bachelor of Pharmacy graduate Ms Lauren Slater from Wagga Wagga. Read more about Ms Slater’s work as a CSU student on remote Elcho Island in 2010 here. Mr Graham Burmeister from the Rotary Club of Wagga Wagga, Wollundry will also attend the ceremony
  
• 208 graduates are due to attend this ceremony in Joyes Hall.

• Graduates from the Faculty of Science including the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences;  School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences; and School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health
  
• During the ceremony, Dr Celia Barril a lecturer with the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga will receive her PhD, The Chemistry of ascorbic acid and sulphur dioxide as an antioxidant system relevant to white wine. Dr Leigh Schmidtke, a lecturer with the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga, will receive his PhD, Effects of micro-oxygenation on Shiraz wine
  
• Guest speaker is Ms Cathy McGowan AO, principal of Catherine McGowan Consulting Pty Ltd
  
• New Director of the Djirruwang mental health program Ms Faye McMillan will oversee 18 Indigenous graduates from the University’s Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health) program. The graduates include her mother, Ms Robyn McMillan. Also attending the ceremony are Ms Faye McMillan’s two brothers. Read more on CSU News here
  
• Ceremony includes 37 graduates of the Bachelor of Veterinary Biology/Bachelor of Veterinary Science including Dr Stephanie Bullen who will be awarded Class 1 Honours. Read more about Dr Bullen here
  
• The Veterinary Science Medal will be presented to Bachelor of Veterinary Biology/Bachelor of Veterinary Science with Honours Class 1 graduate, Dr Kate Burnheim. She is now working at the Orange Veterinary Hospital
  
• The graduates at this ceremony will receive their awards from acting Chancellor Professor Nick Klomp
  
• 153 graduates are due to attend this ceremony in Joyes Hall.