Communication students from Charles Sturt University have always been highly sought after by the media industry and this trend looks set to continue with the appointment of new senior academic staff.

Former Channel 7 news director Ian Cook will bring over 35 years of extensive media experience to his latest role as Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Journalism at CSU’s School of Communication.

Mr Cook first joined Channel Nine in 1976 and as network news director oversaw the launching of such headline-making programs as Sixty Minutes and Sunday.
 
“This was a remarkable era for Nine News, when, with the enthusiastic urging and backing of Kerry Packer, we were able to redefine the boundaries for news and current affairs on commercial television,” Mr Cook said

After 17 years at Nine, he followed his managing director and mentor, Sam Chisholm, to BSkyB in London where he headed a team of 310 people producing 24-hour news for the world stage. His return to Australia saw him take up the reins at Channel 7 News which resulted in the stations programs taking out numerous awards.
 
A new senior lecturer in Public Relations and Organisational Communication is Donald Alexander who holds a Bachelor of Law from the University of Otago and Master of Arts (Communication-Organisational Communication) from CSU. His career includes senior public relations management positions in the finance and manufacturing sectors as well as consultancies in the general and technology sectors. He was a Senior Lecturer in Public Relations and Professional Communication at Central Queensland University prior to joining CSU.

Kay Nankervis has returned to the School of Communications at Bathurst as an associate lecturer in journalism bringing with her almost two decades experience as a journalist for ABC radio and television in Sydney, Melbourne and London as well as commercial networks in Australia and overseas.

Along with her broadcast journalism degree Ms Nankervis has formal acting qualifications, gained in London, and is part-way through a Masters in Professional Writing.

Margaret Van Heekeren former News Editor of WIN Western has been appointed as associate lecturer in journalism. Ms Van Heekeren has worked in radio, newspaper, magazine and television journalism since graduating from the then Mitchell College in 1984. 

Joining the Theatre Media course of CSU’s School of Communication as lecturer is Linden Tierney, general manager of Rock & Roll Circus, Brisbane. She has worked as a performer, director and manager in circus and physical theatre for the last seven years and was a founding member of Circus Monoxide working alongside Mike Finch, now director of Circus Oz. Ms Tierney has been assistant director, director and festival coordinator for the Flying Fruit Fly Circus. 

This year, she will direct the 2004 CSU production of ‘Almost’ for Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre's theatre for young people and their families program.

“Our School is top-rated by the media and communications industry and these appointments show that we want to retain leadership and give our students the best start to their professional careers,” said Associate Professor Tom Watson, Head of School of Communication at CSU’s Bathurst Campus.