Archive

Residents of the Albury-Wodonga region are being asked to give feedback on a new device used to assess feet for developing orthotics for inside shoes. Final year podiatry Honours student with Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Community Health, Ms Romany Vonarx, is assessing the accuracy of the device, developed in Melbourne. “The device aims to make orthotic prescription more consistent and save patients money. We want to see if it actually does what it says,” said Ms Vonarx, who is looking for 60 people aged 18 or older from the Border region to take part in her study. The investigation, which runs from Monday 29 October for three months, will be carried out at the University’s Allied Health Clinic, corner Olive and Guinea Streets, Albury. To take part in the project, contact Ms Vonarx via email or telephone the CSU clinic on (02) 6051 9299.

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Faculty of Business will present a $1 000 prize to Wodonga Senior College on Monday 22 October, as the regional winner of the Game On business studies simulation competition for senior students. Dr Abbey Dwivedi from CSU’s School of Management and Marketing will present the cheque at a school assembly at 10.50am to the winning team, JMB  Motors, which consisted of three Year 11 students – Mr Jake Morris, Mr Mitch Anderson and Ms Brianna Bice. “The CSU business simulation is designed to assist HSC students undertake their business-related studies by providing a competitive and real-life scenario that reflects what many of today's businesses encounter,” Dr Dwivedi said. “During the simulation, students had to make decisions that impacted their business performance. The activities were designed to be ‘real-life’ as much as possible, as this enhances the student learning experience, which is a key part of the University’s business teaching strategy.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange will have a bigger-than-usual footprint at the Australian National Field Days when it unveils its new, larger, outdoor site today. The University has traditionally been represented with a stand in the education pavilion at the annual event, but School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences academic Ms Shevahn Telfser said this year’s larger stand would provide space for interactive demonstrations. “The stand will feature a horse skeleton which visitors can help assemble as they learn the names of each part, and a display of common and not-so-common fruits and vegetables which visitors can examine and name,” Ms Telfser said. “The idea is to engage visitors with some fun, educational activities they will be required to complete in order to earn a visitor’s bag. The Field Days is a great opportunity to not only show school-aged visitors what Charles Sturt University can offer them, but to also demonstrate our continuing commitment to agricultural science and business degrees in Orange.” The Australian National Field Days will run from today Tuesday 16 October to Thursday 18 October at Borenore near Orange.

The Ride2Uni Day on Wednesday 17 October will see staff and students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) showing the Albury-Wodonga community the health and economic benefits of commuting to work via bicycle. Nearly 30 riders took part in an earlier bike event in September, so organisers are expecting greater numbers as the warmer weather encourages more riders to hit the road. Organiser for the event at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Mr Wes Ward, said he started riding 10 years ago when he was told he would have to have his knees replaced within five years after many years of road running. “Thirteen years later, cycling to work up to four days a week from central Albury to the University’s Thurgoona site continues to keep me fit, calms my mind before work, saves me money on fuel, and I still have my original knees,” Mr Ward said. The Ride2Uni event in Albury-Wodonga is part of the national Ride2Work Day being held in workplaces across Australia on Wednesday 17 October.

Former Olympic swimming champion Mr Michael Klim was the guest of honour and presented awards to student sports and social groups at the annual Blues Ball at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst recently. CSU student support officer Ms Jean Ryan said, “The Blues Ball awards give us the opportunity to recognise the considerable talent of the University’s students, and a great night was had by all. It was particularly pleasing to have the Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Andrew Vann, attend, and to welcome Mr Michael Klim and recently returned London Olympics competitor Ms Jo Brigden-Jones (K4 kayaking) who received the Distance Education Sportsperson of the Year Award.” The Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, Mr Col Sharp, also attended the Blues Ball to celebrate the students’ achievements. Mr Lachlan Martens and Mr James Dunston, members of the CSU Sports Council, shared the master of ceremonies role.

The television studio at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will have a younger audience than usual when CSU students recreate the popular ABC Television program, Play School on Friday 12 October. Under the supervision of television production lecturer Mr Patrick Sproule, the Bachelor of Arts (Television Production) students will record  an episode of Play School before a live audience of children from the nearby CSU Children’s Centre and Goodstart Early Learning Ashmont. Bachelor of Arts (Design for Theatre and Television) students have re-created the Play School set for the children. Acting students will play the role of Play School presenters. “Having a live audience adds a further element of reality and feedback to our students' learning experience with the children usually being quite forthcoming with comments on what they like most in the production. With a colourful and detailed set and great performances from our acting students, it also provides a fantastic opportunity for the children to see how one of their favourite television shows is made in the studio environment,” said Mr Sproule. The children will also be given a tour of the Play School set in the television studios. The television studio is one of the facilities available to students in the University’s School of Communication and Creative Industries. Read more about the Bachelor of Arts (Television Production), (Acting for Stage and Screen) and (Design for Theatre & Television) degrees here.

Twenty five Charles Sturt University (CSU) students will assist with the organisation of the 2012 Inland Sea of Sound Festival of world music in Bathurst from Tuesday 16 to Saturday 20 October. Ms Kate Smith, lecturer in theatre/media at the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst, said, “The students are involved in work experience and internships as production staff and crew for the event. This includes stage management, production management, and volunteer coordination of events in backyards, in the park, and at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre.” The 2012 Inland Sea of Sound Festival features musician-led workshops, two twilight concerts in private backyards, and leading performers - Jeff Lang, Rasa Duende, Fred Smith, Liz Frencham, Greg Sheehan, Bandaluzia, Kerrianne Cox, Kim Sanders, Jade Flynn, and the Sea of Sound Band. More information and tickets can be obtained from the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre at 105 William Street, Bathurst, or on 6333 6161 or at www.bmec.com.au or www.inlandseaofsound.com. 

A leading water ecologist from Charles Sturt University (CSU) believes the allocation of environmental water and various environmental works and measures designed to spread water across the wetlands will allow the environment of the Murray Darling Basin to adapt to climate change. “These works spread water across the wetlands, allow wetlands to drain, and allow fish to migrate,” says Professor Max Finlayson, director of CSU’s Institute for Land, Water and Society. “The ecological condition of the Murray River and its many wetlands has been the subject of much contention and many policy responses in recent years, including the current Murray Darling Basin Plan. This has included major concerns over ecological changes in major wetlands along the river.  I will use my experiences from the mouth of the Murray to illustrate some of the quandaries we face.” Professor Finlayson will present his views at the next public seminar in the Murray-Darling Basin Seminar series, titled ’Climate change adaptation for the Murray River’, at 4pm on Thursday 4 October at CSU in Albury-Wodonga.

Charles Sturt University's (CSU) lawn bowls team has won through to the gold medal match of the Australian University Games (AUG) in Adelaide to defend the national title it won last year. CSU team manager, Mr Nik Granger, said the team had won five of its seven pool games to qualify third for the play-offs behind the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the University of NSW (UNSW). “We lost to both universities in the pool stage, but we beat UNSW in the semi-final and the team is confident it can knock over UWA in the final”, he said. CSU first earned a place in the top tier of the AUG in 2009 and won a first division bronze in 2010 before taking the national title last year. Mr Granger said the past 10 years had seen a sharp increase in the standard of competition at the Games, which were now Australia’s largest annual multi-sport event. “There are Olympians, Commonwealth Games medallists, and various state and national representatives throughout the competition,” he said. “CSU will have students from our Albury-Wodonga, Wagga Wagga and Bathurst campuses competing as well as several distance education students.”

The link between nutrition and heart health will be explored when the Senior Manager of Food Supply at the Heart Foundation speaks at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga this Friday 28 September. Ms Barbara Eden will be a guest lecturer for Bachelor of Health Sciences (Nutrition and Dietetics) students from the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga from 9am to 11am. With cardiovascular disease the leading cause of death in Australia, Ms Eden will also speak with local health professionals and CSU staff from 1.30pm to 3pm. Lecturer in nutrition and dietetics, Ms Jackie Priestly, said, “Charles Sturt University is extremely fortunate to be able to host Barbara to update our nutrition and dietetic students and local health professionals on the latest evidence and effective strategies in the fight against cardiovascular disease.”