Seventy five Charles Sturt University (CSU) Foundation scholarships worth $142 700 in total will be presented to 70 CSU students at a luncheon ceremony in Bathurst on Friday 25 May. The ceremony will be attended by the Chancellor of CSU, Mr Lawrie Willett, AO, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Vann, the Head of Campus in Bathurst, Mr Col Sharp, and the Mayor of Bathurst, Councillor Greg Westman. Prominent guests include Ms Lyndey Milan, a food and wine broadcaster, author, TV personality and presenter of Lyndey and Blair’s Taste of Greece, who will present the inaugural Blair Milan Memorial Scholarship in honour of her son Blair, a CSU theatre/media alumnus, who died of cancer in 2011. Ms Milan will be accompanied by her partner, businessman Mr John Caldon, as well as colleagues, friends and family of Mr Blair Milan. Other inaugural CSU Foundation scholarships to be presented include the Lodge Chelmsford Masonic Scholarship, the Moree Plains Shire Council Scholarship, and the Widgiewa School Scholarship. Six students will also receive CSU Excellence Scholarships, awarded to students based on a combination of academic merit (an ATAR score of 95 and above) and evidence of demonstrated leadership and citizenship within the community.

High school students will experience the world of computing and information technology at university when Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst holds a special MyDay event on Thursday 17 May. MyDay offers high school students the unique opportunity to experience a day in the life of a university student. Students who have expressed a particular interest in studying computer science will learn more about courses in games technology, information technology, and business computing studies. CSU’s School of Computing and Mathematics focuses on practical applications of information and communication technology, and mathematics and statistics, to problems in industry, the environment and business.

Construction projects valued at approximately $7.5 million are underway at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst. Three projects, jointly-funded with Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, are expected to be completed later in 2011. The Regional Inter-Professional Clinical Simulation Centre is a state-of-the-art teaching building for nursing and paramedics students; the Model Digital Learning Module will provide cutting edge physical and digital infrastructure necessary for the preparation of ‘job ready’ teachers for Australian schools; and the Health & Wellness sports facilities upgrade will enhance recreational amenities. This involves the building of four new tennis courts and two multi-purpose courts, the creation of sun shade and barbeque areas, the renovation of the rugby oval and the training oval with new lighting, irrigation, laser levelling and new turf, the upgrade of the existing rugby union club house, and the construction of change rooms and amenities at the training field.

A special presentation ceremony will be held on Wednesday 11 May for postgraduate information technology (IT) graduates following the Faculty of Business graduation ceremony at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Wednesday 11 May. Mr Martin Hale, an adjunct senior lecturer in computing at CSU and the chief executive officer of IT Masters Pty Ltd, a partner organisation with the University, said the special ceremony recognises the achievement of these higher degree graduates following their formal graduation that day. “This event helps to celebrate the students’ achievements, and provides the opportunity for many who have studied by distance education to meet their fellow students,” Mr Hale said. “They will also be presented with their special IT Masters graduation jackets by the Head of the CSU School of Computing and Mathematics, Associate Professor Irfan Altas. The IT Masters special graduation celebration will be held from 5pm onwards on Wednesday 11 May after the conclusion of the Faculty of Business graduation ceremony. The event is on the first floor of the Mansfield Building (building C2, the main lecture block near the Library) at CSU in Bathurst.

The 25th Charles Sturt University (CSU) Bathurst Half-Marathon and 10 kilometre Run will be staged on Sunday 1 May. Lecturer at the School of Human Movement Studies in Bathurst,  Mr Peter Micalos, said, “The half-marathon and 10 kilometre run  are staged over a flat, fast course on pathways and country lanes around the Macquarie River, and starts and finishes at the Bathurst Rugby Club in Hereford Street. All runners should ensure an adequate carbohydrate diet and be appropriately hydrated before the event.” The entry fee is $30 or $15 for students, and includes a free sausage sizzle at the presentation, and random-draw prizes.

Two Charles Sturt University (CSU) researchers and lecturers at the CSU School of Biomedical Sciences,  Dr James Crane and Dr Andrew Delaney, will explore the nature of human emotions when they present a two-part public lecture, ‘The Emotional Brain’, at CSU in Bathurst on Tuesday 3 May. Dr Crane will examine the research questions that have fascinated psychologists and neuroscientists for more than 100 years; ‘what are emotions?’ and ‘how does the brain generate an emotion?’. “I will discuss the early anatomical research that uncovered the brain regions involved, and the more recent advances made in tracing the neuronal pathways, some of which are involved in generating the emotional response to pain,” Dr Crane said. Dr Delaney will discuss how emotion is an integral aspect of pain. “I will highlight the current research Dr Crane and I are doing to address how the emotional circuits of the brain are activated during a painful experience, and how changes in these circuits might contribute to the high rate of depression and anxiety in sufferers of chronic pain,” Dr Delaney said.

A philosophical play written and directed by two Charles Sturt University (CSU) acdemics will have a second performance on Thursday 28 April due to popular demand as part of the current Greek Festival in Sydney. The play, Wise After the Fact, is by Dr Edward Spence, and is directed by Mr Ray Harding, both lecturers at the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst. “Wise After the Fact examines the origins and development of Wisdom in ancient Greece, and juxtaposes this with the dilemmas confronting individuals and society in the present Age of Information,” Dr Spence said. “I also discuss philosophy with the audience, and the first performance (on 14 April) was so successful the festival organisers invited us to return.”

Six separate ceremonies at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will see about 1 000 graduates awarded degrees and higher qualifications for their studies completed at the University by the end of 2010. As in past years, thousands of friends and family members are expected to visit Bathurst to share the graduation celebrations. The morning and afternoon ceremonies are on Wednesday 11 (Faculty of Business), Thursday 12 (Faculty of Education), and Friday 13 May (Faculties of Science and Arts). In a move to more closely align graduation ceremonies with the year of completion of studies, CSU will introduce graduations in December, starting in 2011.

A special weekend ‘camp’ for developers of applications for mobile devices such as phones and hand-held computers will be held at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 May. Event organiser Mr Martin Hale is an adjunct senior lecturer in computing at CSU and the chief executive officer of The IT Masters Pty Ltd, a partner organisation with the University. “The development of games and applications for mobile phones and tablets is a booming area and we expect about 150 information technology professionals from around Australia will attend the Mobile Camp Oz event,” said Mr Hale. “Mobile Camp Oz is a free, developer community-driven event which allows people with interests in developing for mobile devices to come together in one location and interact with expert speakers who will deliver presentations on a wide range of mobile developer topics.” For more information, click here, or telephone 1300 885 685.