Archive
Seeking older subjects for free lung checks
Tuesday, 21 Aug 2007Estimating the number of people in the Federal Calare electorate aged 55 to 75 years with respiratory disease is the goal of a new Charles Sturt University (CSU) research project. Dr Debbie Burton, a senior lecturer and Associate Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU’s Orange Campus, says the project will screen people for asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and the related disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). “The free lung health test uses a breathing test, where participants take a full breath in, then breathe out fully and with maximum effort into a tube, to check how well they can ventilate their lungs. Most people diagnosed with COPD experience moderate to severe shortness of breath and reduced lung function before discussing this with their doctor. This delays the diagnosis of COPD and increases the risk of getting the related disease CHF. Once diagnosed, people with these diseases can be managed medically so that the diseases progress more slowly and the quality of life for these people improves.” The study results will be used to identify ways to more easily screen and detect these diseases earlier in older people. If you have received an invitation letter and wish to take part in the study, contact Jillian Webb on telephone 02 6365 7823.
CSU Winery’s Royal Melbourne success.
Tuesday, 21 Aug 2007
Charles Sturt University (
CSU Dubbo Campus hosts photography exhibition
Tuesday, 24 Jul 2007The Interactive Learning Centre (ILC) on the Dubbo Campus of Charles Sturt University (CSU) is the venue for the twentieth annual Western Districts National Exhibition of Photography. Ms Lorna White, the co-coordinator of the photography competition and exhibition, says that approximately 1000 entries were received from 105 amateur photographers from around Australia for the five categories – Open Colour, Open Monochrome, Nature, People, and Photojournalism. “The subjects of the photographs were varied and the standard was very high,” Ms White said. “Judging took place in June, and we have selected about 110 framed photographs to display.” The exhibition is open to the public this coming weekend, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July, and is easily accessed through the CSU main entrance.
The guns of Kiska Island
Tuesday, 24 Jul 2007
A Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher is off on a trip offering “excitement of a life-time”. The trip to a remote Alaskan island is to gather an inventory of guns left behind by Japanese military forces after World War II. Archaeologist and principal researcher with CSU’s Institute for Land, Water and Society (ILWS), Associate Professor Dirk Spennemann has been contracted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to inspect and document the guns on Kiska Island in the Bering Strait and to assess their state of conservation. He is one of a party of five who will spend five days on the island. Professor Spenneman says “This research fits into my interest in modern heritage and the planning problems. We can’t plan for the island’s volcano erupting but at least if we can document what we have now, then we can plan for future management and how we might stop these guns rusting away or being stolen.”
International aid for CSU diabetes research
Tuesday, 24 Jul 2007
Medical researchers at Charles Sturt University are receiving overseas assistance to develop an early-warning system for detecting diabetes and heart disease in regional Australians. “Over 1 900 Australians are diagnosed each week with diabetes. We are looking to find the risk factors to help calculate the chance of a patient developing this debilitating disease, using common medical tests and computer software,” said research group leader, Dr Herbert Jelinek. For the past five years, around 800 participants from Albury-Wodonga and surrounding areas have provided heart rhythm readings, inner eye photographs, blood samples and feet tests, which are being analysed to find trends that will help detect the disease in its early stages. All this data is now part of comprehensive database developed over three months for the CSU research group by Emilien Pecoul, a postgraduate student from the University of Poitiers in France. “We are looking to prevent diabetes rather than deal with it after it happens. This software will enable us to search more efficiently and effectively for simple tests and factors that could signal early signs and help patients and medical professionals deal with it before it develops further,” Dr Jelinek said.IT, accounting graduates in the red
Tuesday, 26 Jun 2007
Two senior academics at Charles Sturt University (CSU) have pointed at the serious shortfall in accounting and information technology graduates and its potential impacts. “There have been fewer students enrolling in university courses in recent years. Local, national and global businesses both small and large are all competing for a declining pool of qualified graduates,” says CSU's senior lecturer in information technology, Dr John Atkinson. He says that includes Border companies who have trouble attracting and keeping computing professionals. “Even the Australian Computer Society is unable to find enough applicants for over 100 scholarships for Australian computing students to undertake work experience in India.” CSU accounting team leader Dianne McGrath says accounting firms, including international firm KPMG and many government and business organisations, were concerned at the lack of new accounting graduates available to fill positions in Albury and Wodonga. “A recent report by Access Economics also states graduates in these professions are in the top five most sought by Australian businesses. CSU is keen to train local people for positions in local firms as it has been shown that they are more likely to stay in Albury-Wodonga.” To address this shortfall, all courses offered by CSU’s School of Business and Information Technology will be offered for mid-year enrolment until 31 July. Contact Sue Petzke at the School on telephone (02) 6051 9874.
Preventing child sex tourism
Monday, 12 Feb 2007A workshop focusing on the darker side of the Asian tourism industry will be hosted next Monday 12 February by Charles Sturt University (CSU). The "Prevention of Child Sex Tourism" workshop will aim to improve Australia’s response to the problem of child sex tourism in the Asia-Pacific region. Speakers from the Australian Federal Police, the Federal Government development agency AusAID and non-government organisation Childwise as well as CSU will address the public forum. CSU lecturer and workshop organiser Sallie Yea says "Australia is prominent as a source of sex tourists in Asia. Last year for example, I interviewed 30 female minors in Cebu, the Philippines and all but two claimed to have had to service Australian clients. We hope the workshop will help address the human rights violations of the children sexually exploited in these situations." The workshop will run for the public from 9.30am to 2.30pm in the Boardroom, Gordon Beavan Building on the CSU Albury-Wodonga Campus at Thurgoona.
Small scale winery to show the way
Wednesday, 24 Jan 2007
An innovative experimental winery is set to enhance Australia’s reputation for producing a quality product from the fruit of the vine. The new winery, to be launched on Tuesday 30 January, will be built next to the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre on Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Wagga Wagga Campus, the result of a partnership between CSU, NSW Wine Industry Association and NSW Department of Primary Industries. Director of the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, CSU’s Professor Geoff Scollary says “This year 120 different wines will be produced at the CSU Winery. The expansion will allow production to increase to 150 for the 2008 vintage and provide grape growers and wine producers with strong scientific and practical information to ensure the Australian wine industry remains sustainable and profitable”. Professor Scollary believes the expansion “will further establish CSU as one of the nation’s leading wine extension and research centres”.
Federal grant for further water saving at CSU
Thursday, 30 Nov 2006
As part of its commitment to sustainable development, Charles Sturt University has won Federal Government funding to further increase water efficiency. “Grey water”, or water from hand basins, showers and kitchens, is already treated in experimental treatment beds on the Thurgoona site. With further building to start on Thurgoona in 2007, the current treatment system will be expanded and modified using experience gained over the past five years. Over $45 000 will be provided for the project, which includes developing a detailed construction and maintenance manual so communities throughout regional Australia could develop similar systems. “The safe treatment of ‘grey water’ is very important for communities that do not have access to a conventional sewerage system, which saves energy used for pumps,” said project coordinator Ian Hume. The project also includes the installation of meters to measure water flows and sampling points for more efficient water testing. “The development is part of the University’s dedication to managing water effectively and responsibly as well as its research into alternative low impact technology,” CSU water expert Professor Mitchell said.
Lunchbox Spectacular addresses child obesity on the Border
Thursday, 9 Nov 2006
Ian Parmenter, celebrity chef on ABC TV’s Consuming Passions, will lend his considerable culinary expertise to fighting childhood obesity when Charles Sturt University (CSU) and NSW TAFE Riverina Institute host a Lunchbox Spectacular on Monday 13 November. The evening event will focus on providing healthy, nutritious and fun food for school children, and is aimed at classroom teachers, nutritionists, parents and anyone interested in healthy food for kids. Other speakers include CSU’s lecturer in dietetics Gabrielle O’Kane and Head of the University’s Murray School of Education, Dr Louise Hard. The event will start at 4pm at the Rivers Restaurant on the Albury Campus, Riverina Institute of TAFE, Poole St, 
Albury, and will be followed by CSU wines and healthy snacks. The event is sponsored by Qantas Airways and Hume Building Society.