Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the University of Delaware in the United States will reaffirm their commitment to agricultural education on two continents when 18 students spend 10 days at CSU at Wagga Wagga in the New Year. Located in farming country between New York and Washington DC, the University of Delaware has one of the largest Study Abroad programs in the USA. “This will be the fourth group of students to travel to CSU since 2004,” said Emeritus Professor Ted Wolfe, from the CSU School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences. The students, who are due to arrive in Wagga Wagga on Monday 5 January, will study local animal production issues and leadership opportunities through hands-on experiences, farm visits, field trips and local sightseeing. “We gain international insights from these visitors – international exchange is important for CSU students and academics, as well as for the community groups, local agribusiness and agricultural institutions that are assisting CSU to develop a global perspective,” said Professor Wolfe. During their four-week stay in Australia, the US students will participate in lectures and visit agribusiness firms and farms around Wagga Wagga, before moving on to sightseeing in Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart and Sydney.

At its final meeting for 2008 on Thursday 18 December, the University Council of Charles Sturt University (CSU) congratulated Associate Professor David McKinnon and Dr Lena Danaia from the School of Teacher  Education for winning a prestigious 2008 Australian Award for University Teaching. The Chancellor of CSU, Mr Lawrie Willett, AO, said “The Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) award reflects the dedication and expertise of Professor McKinnon and Dr Danaia, and that of their School, the Faculty of Education and the whole University. We are proud of their contributions to the education of the professions for our regions and the nation. This award reflects Charles Sturt University’s mission to provide education and research to national and international standards, for the people of inland Australia.” Read more about the ALTC award here.

CSU Media wishes all our readers a very safe and happy Christmas and New Year. The team says a big ‘thank you’ for your support of CSU News during 2008. CSU Media is looking forward to an exciting 2009 when CSU will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Charles Sturt University will be closed from 12.30pm Wednesday 24 December until 9am Monday 5 January 2009.

The joys, challenges and wonder of science and technology as a career option will be highlighted when high school students attend the Siemens Science Experience at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga from Wednesday 14 to Friday 16 January. The three days of science experiences will include practical and interactive demonstrations for students starting Year 10 in 2009, as well as their parents. A national initiative of the Science Schools Foundation Inc., the annual event has the support of Rotary clubs, Siemens, the Australian Science Teacher's Association and the Young Scientists of Australia as well as universities around the country. Dean of CSU’s Faculty of Science and science enthusiast, Professor Nick Klomp, and Manager of CSU Learning Enterprise, Ms Jenny King, will welcome the students to the Siemens Science Experience from 9am on Wednesday 14 January in the Wal Fife Theatre on CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus.

The summer perennial weed Silverleaf Nightshade is estimated to cost agriculture millions of dollars every year in reduced crop and pasture production. Researchers at the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, an alliance between Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the NSW Department of Primary Industries, are half way through a project to look for innovative solutions to tackle the invasive weed. At a field day to be held on Thursday 4 December, Dr Rex Stanton will speak at a Leeton trial site about the effective chemical control of Silverleaf Nightshade. At a second site at Narrandera, he will discuss the use of mulch crops in suppressing the weed. The trial sites were established to investigate the role that competitive crops and herbicides can play in challenging the weed’s dominance.

Professor Allan Curtis has been appointed as the new Head of Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Albury-Wodonga. Professor Curtis, who took up the position on Tuesday 23 December, replaces Professor Gail Whiteford. He will hold this appointment concurrently with his position as Strategic Professor at the University’s Institute for Land, Water and Society. Professor Curtis joined CSU in 2004 as the inaugural Professor of Integrated Environmental Management. He previously worked at CSU from 1991 to 2002 before leading the Social Sciences Program at the federal Bureau of Rural Sciences in Canberra. Professor Curtis’ current research focuses on the social dimensions of regional natural resource management, including the social and economic impacts of water and its regulation in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Demand for health and education courses offered to Victorian students by Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Albury-Wodonga continues to be healthy, says the University’s Student Administration Executive Director, Mr Geoff Honey. “The physiotherapy course appears to be full, while our other allied health and education courses have been in strong demand from Victorian students,” Mr Honey said. “However, there are places available in most offered courses on the campus, especially in environmental science and business.” Offers for CSU places through the NSW University Admissions Centre will be made this Thursday 22 January. Orientation Week for new students will commence on Monday 16 February. Victorian applicants considering a CSU course should contact the University’s Student Administration Office on (02) 6051 6811 to discuss their application.

Recent media reports of a dengue fever ‘plague’ in northern Queensland are an overstatement of what periodically occurs in that State, according to a senior Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic and member of the Institute for Land, Water and Society. “I don’t see dengue fever marching south from tropical Australia as a great plague, but rather gradually moving with the fluctuations and movements of climate change over many years,” says Professor Kevin Parton. “My work on Ross River fever, a similarly mosquito-borne disease endemic to parts of southern Australia, shows that the virus is present in humans across NSW – which would surprise many people. It becomes more common in certain weather conditions, hence the appearance of an ‘outbreak’. Sure, take public health precautions such as use insect repellent, fix fly screens and tip out standing water around your house, but some current reports are a little sensationalist.”

Communities and regions where mining occurs will be severely affected by the downturn in the Australian mining sector due to the global financial crisis. Mr Tom Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of the Western Research Institute (WRI) at Charles Sturt University at Bathurst, says that with the current contraction of the Chinese economy, the largest customer for Australia’s mineral resources, Australia will face increasing and probably prolonged reduction of revenue from mining. “Our studies indicate that mining jobs create economic multipliers of four to six in surrounding community economies, or more in some instances,” he said. “That means for each mining job lost you can have four to six other jobs lost in a community. This is because mine wages and local spending are so high. Other industries typically have multipliers of around two to three or even less, so mine jobs are very hard to replace.”