Archive
The Rock a work in progress
Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
The Rock Hill, a spectacular rocky outcrop south of Wagga Wagga which towers 250 metres above the surrounding countryside, has always been a significant landmark in Errol Fielder’s life. As a young boy, The Rock Hill was a constant focal point which marked Errol’s travels to and from the Riverina with his truckdriver father. Now The Rock Hill is the subject of a moving exhibition of landscape works by the Charles Sturt University (CSU) PhD candidate. Mr Fielder says his work attempts to demonstrate the shift away from the early 20th Century European painters who depicted the Australian landscape as unfamiliar and inert. “What I aspire to is embracing the spirituality expressed so beautifully by indigenous artists. The landscape of Australia is of more value to all Australians if, collectively, we recognise its mutual cross racial, or pluralist spiritual content. Australia is not just a quarry, a housing development or a big paddock.”
Scholarships for IT whiz kids
Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003Two Charles Sturt University (CSU) postgraduate information technology (IT) students have won scholarships from the Australian Computer Society (ACS) Foundation. At a presentation ceremony in Sydney today (Thursday 27 September) NSW Minister for Small Business, The Hon. David Campbell, said the scholarships represent an investment in NSW’s future skills base in information and communication technology. Joanne Hyde from Sydney and Douglas Parson from Canberra, ACT, work in IT businesses. The ACS Foundation has raised $8 million over five years towards 550 scholarships for NSW students.
NSW Pharmacy Student of the Year
Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
Matthew Pitcher, a fourth year Pharmacy student at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Wagga Wagga Campus, has taken out the NSW finals of Pharmacy Student of the Year. The competition, run by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, recognises outstanding pharmacy students. Matthew says the emphasis is on communication and counselling skills. “It’s about telling the customer exactly how to use a drug and what to look out for. This competition is trying to encourage best practice and at CSU they teach you to put best practice into place.” Head of the University’s School of Biomedical Sciences, Associate Professor Lyn Angel, says this is a very exciting outcome for CSU pharmacy. “In general it is a reflection of the calibre of our students and the quality of the academic staff who have put in the time and effort. They are passionate about their pharmacy profession”. Matthew will compete for the national title early next month. “The final will be a massive challenge. I'm expecting the calibre of the other state finalists to be of an exceptional standard. It will be difficult, but I'll give it my best shot."
CSU’s virtual Mount Panorama track
Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
Bathurst will once again be “humming” this week to the sound of V8 Supercars. Tomorrow, Wednesday 4 October, two of the official Fujitsu V8 Supercar Championship drivers, David Clark from Optima Sport, and Michael Caruso from Decina Racing, will drive simulated laps of Mount Panorama in the computer games laboratory which is part of Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Information Technology. Paull Young from BAM Media, which looks after several V8 Supercar teams said it is like the real thing. “Michael hasn’t driven at Bathurst before, and David hasn’t driven a V8 Supercar around Mount Panorama, so their first experience of the Bathurst track will be in the computer lab.” As well, CSU lecturer in Computer Science Errol Chopping, says the computer games lab is well fitted out with enhanced graphics PCs, game consoles, a large fixed silver projection screen, high powered projectors, audio systems, joysticks and steering wheels. “The lab is used to research feedback which the user gets through feel, touch and motion, rather than eyes and ears. For example, we are hoping to mirror an experiment that was done in the United States about untrained pilots flying into cloud. They have a life span of about 147 seconds because they lose spatial orientation and they don’t believe their instruments. They go into graveyard spins and spiral dives because they have no feedback from their eyes.”
More international links for CSU
Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
Charles Sturt University (CSU) is continuing to expand its international links with the latest Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signings in Switzerland. Berne University of Applied Sciences (USAB) has strong similarities with CSU, according to Associate Professor Greg Walker, Head of CSU’s School of Marketing and Management. “Like us, USAB was formed out of a group of regional colleges of higher education and has the largest number of postgraduate students in Switzerland. It is this type of collorative and exchange agreement that strengthens an already robust relationship between senior CSU staff in the University’s Faculty of Commerce and UASB’s Management School,” says Associate Professor Walker. The relationship has already provided for enrolment of UASB students in CSU’s Doctor of Business Administration program, while CSU’s Master of Business Administration is now linked with UASB study tour programs in Europe and China. “The study tours enable CSU students to visit some of Europe's leading companies and provide a rich learning experience for students. There are also provisions for CSU and UASB staff to have extended working visits at our respective institutions.”
It’s a Yak’s life
Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
A documentary following the life of a Tibetan Yak herder has given livestock owners a better understanding of challenges faced by Chinese agriculturalists. Anthropologist Baima Cuo has fascinated those attending a Charles Sturt University (CSU) public lecture with her presentation titled The Life of Yaks on the Tibetan Plateau. Born in Tibet, Baima Cuo completed her degree in Beijing and spent time in Norway before arriving in Orange. Baima’s presentation will become a documentary produced by Baima’s supervisor Professor Gunnar Haaland from Norway. The documentary follows the life of Tibetan herder who lives in Naqchu, Northern Tibet. “This kind of life is something not many people get to see, so to hear first hand about Baima’s experience in Tibet has been fantastic,” says lecture chair Kerry Cochrane.Going once, going twice
Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003Charles Sturt University (CSU) photography students currently in their final year of study will hold an auction of their photographic works at the Wilson Street Gallery in Albury on Friday 6 October. The images incorporate a variety of photographic styles and methods, spanning black and white images, colour and digital. Auction organiser and CSU student Sophie Koskela says the images are suitable for the home or business and “there will be something to suit everyone’s tastes”. All proceeds from the auction, which starts at 6pm, will go towards the annual CSU Graduation Exhibition to be held in the Albury Regional Art Gallery opening later in October.
Continuing education for the Pharmacy profession
Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
“Rural and remote health practioners, like their metropolitan and city-dwelling counterparts, enjoy meeting with their colleagues, chewing the fat, and seeing a face-to-face lecture”, says Professor Patrick Ball, from Charles Sturt University’s School of Biomedical Sciences. Inland-based pharmacists will have another chance to hear about how they can make a difference to the health of their community at the third and final Pharmacy Continuing Education Session to be hosted by CSU’s Wagga Wagga and Orange campuses. Speakers include Dr Judith Crockett, senior lecturer in the School of Rural Management at the University’s newly launched Orange Campus, who will talk about depression in rural communities and Dr Debbie Burton who will update attendees on asthma research and findings. Professor Ball adds that “Professor Carroll from the University of New South Wales will talk about Parkinson’s disease whilst Mr Rollo Manning, a well known mover and shaker within the profession who is based in the Northern Territory, will talk about his work with Indigenous communities and providing solutions for rural and remote pharmacy in general”.
Silver and Bronze at the National University Games for CSU Bathurst
Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
Bathurst Charles Sturt University (CSU) students managed to bring home silver and bronze medals from the National University Games, despite representing just a fraction of the five and half thousand who attended. Sports Administrator Jean Ryan said CSU was successful in the Women’s Hockey and Mixed Touch Football at the Games, which were held in the last week of September, “41 CSU Bathurst students went along and everybody had a great time.” Jackson Goman is a fourth year Bachelor of Sport & Recreation/Bachelor of Arts (Communication-Journalism) student and Vice-President of the Touch club. “I always enjoy going away with CSU because we are a close Uni and we do support each other. As soon as we finished our bronze medal match we went straight to the Hockey match to cheer on CSU. It is that sort of unity between all the teams at CSU that make it all worthwhile.”Demystifying the art of visual effects
Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
Ever wondered how the stunning effects in films such as Lord of the Rings are created? Lindsay Adams will reveal some trade secrets at a lecture in Wagga Wagga this week. Lindsay is a Charles Sturt University (CSU) Bachelor of Arts (Television Production) graduate, and now works as a 2d Technical Director at Animal Logic, a company at the forefront of the international visual effects industry. Lindsay’s recent work includes House of Flying Daggers, Stealth, and Oliver Stone's World Trade Center. He promises to thank CSU when he collects his first Oscar. “However, most of the work we do is in a dark room and we rarely get out, especially to something as glamorous as the Oscars. We start work when it’s dark and finish when it’s dark.” Lindsay says he can still enjoy himself at the cinema, despite knowing all the tricks of the trade. “The best effects are the ones you don’t notice. There’s a lot of work out there that is completely seamless and even I don’t spot it.”