The education of teachers has been a core part of Charles Sturt University (CSU) and its predecessor institutions since 1947 with the establishment of the Wagga Wagga Teachers’ College. A public forum will be held on Tuesday 24 May to discuss teachers’ important role in our diverse society. “Everyone's talking about the need for great teachers in every classroom, so how do we produce quality teachers?” asks Head of the School of Education  at CSU in Wagga Wagga, Associate Professor Roslyn Brennan Kemmis. “In our increasingly complex society, it is important that we examine the university subjects offered to education students to ensure we prepare them for a world that is rapidly changing. We need to produce teachers that are lifelong learners and agents of change within the reality of today’s schools and prepare students as 21st century teachers.

Strong prices and demand for prime lambs have seen producers shift their focus from wool production during recent times. But Professor of Animal Production at Charles Sturt University (CSU) Peter Wynn is urging Riverina producers not to lose sight of the importance of wool in their farm business. “Wool production has been the backbone of Australia and will continue to be an integral component of farm business income, particularly across the Riverina,” said Professor Wynn, who is also a member of the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation – an alliance between CSU and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. “It is important producers continue to integrate wool production into their farming practices and not be heavily swayed by current market trends.” The Graham Centre together with the University of Sydney have organised a wool symposium to be held on Wednesday 18 May at Hay. “The symposium will provide an opportunity for wool growers to meet with key industry researchers and future leaders in the industry.” Forty final year animal science students from CSU and the University of Sydney are expected to attend the event. The program is available from the Graham Centre website here.

The MyDay event at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Tuesday 31 May will provide information and insights for 20 senior students from eight high schools in the region about information technology (IT), and computing courses they can study. CSU Prospective Student Adviser, Ms Fran Dwyer, said, “This MyDay will provide general information and interactive sessions with academics from the School of Computing and Mathematics at Charles Sturt University. These disciplines prepare students for a dynamic range of career options, and the students will be shown the range of state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories on campus. There has never been a better time to study at Charles Sturt University”. Participating students will come from Bathurst, Cowra, Lithgow, Mudgee and Orange.

Students in Year 12 at high schools across the Central West will be able to explore career and employment opportunities at the annual FACTS Day (Facts About Careers and Tertiary Study) at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Thursday 26 May. FACTS Day is organised by the Central West Careers Advisers Association and staged at CSU. Ms Fran Dwyer, a CSU Prospective Student Adviser, said, “Approximately 1 000 Year 12 students from schools in Bathurst, Lithgow, Kandos, Oberon, Blayney, Cowra, Orange and Molong will be able to obtain information from approximately 120 representatives from more than 60 career and employer organisations, including universities, private providers, TAFE, Centrelink, police and other government agencies. This day offers our regional final-year high school students the opportunity to speak with a range of educational providers, as well as hear a motivational speaker, and experience Charles Sturt University by attending the campus, which some schools will tour”.

Funding has been provided by Charles Sturt University (CSU) to support the full-time release from teaching commitments of 14 key researchers from the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation – an alliance between CSU and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. The 14 Graham Centre 2011 Research Centre Fellows were honoured at a special lunch on Monday 16 May. “The 14 Fellows for 2011 will focus on a broad range of research including plant and animal diseases, animal physiology and production, animal reproduction, food security, sustainable pasture systems, weeds, canola, bio-security and environmental health, water, stubble and conservation cropping,” said Graham Centre director Professor Deirdre Lemerle.“The 2011 Research Centre Fellows have been provided $40 000 each for 12 months so they can focus on their research. We are extremely impressed with the high quality of the 29 applications for the 14 Research Centre Fellowships.”

Three Charles Sturt University (CSU) researchers have investigated what it means for Indigenous children, families, schools and communities to be prepared for schooling. The result is an approach that goes well beyond being concerned only with what children might know or be able to do. CSU Professor of Education with Murray School of Education, Bob Perry says, “We know a few things that do work: having high quality Indigenous staff in the school, good links between school and pre-schools, positive involvement of families and communities in the the transition to school, and top quality pre-school education all contribute to positive experiences. However, we must include Indigenous families and communities in the transition process and show them cultural respect as their children’s first educators. Children, families, communities and schools all have strengths that need to be recognised and celebrated.” The report, titled ‘School readiness: What does it mean for Indigenous children, families, schools and communities?’ will be launched on Tuesday, May 31 at Parliament House in Canberra by the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon. Jenny Macklin MP. The report includes input from local Wiradjuri community member, Ms Leonie McIntosh, as an adviser to the research team.

The nature of human emotions and their relationship with pain will be the focus of a public lecture by Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer Dr Andrew Delaney in Griffith on Wednesday 15 June. Dr Delaney is a neuroscientist who recently joined CSU as senior lecturer at the CSU School of Biomedical Sciences to start a new electrophysiological research laboratory in Orange. His presentation, ‘The Emotional Brain’, will examine questions that have fascinated psychologists and neuroscientists for more than 100 years; ‘what are emotions?’ and ‘how does the brain generate an emotion?’ He will also talk about advances in tracing the neuronal pathways that are involved in generating an emotional response to pain. “I will highlight the neuroscience research that my colleagues and I will be conducting to address how the emotional circuits of the brain are activated during a painful experience,” he said. “We are also examining how changes in these circuits might contribute to the high rate of depression and anxiety in sufferers of chronic pain, a relationship that has particular relevance to those living with pain in rural communities.”

The push for a medical school in Orange continues to gather momentum with Charles Sturt University (CSU) launching the Doctors 4 the Bush  website this Thursday 16 June. CSU recently submitted a detailed proposal to the Federal government to gain support for the establishment of an Integrated Health and Medical Education Precinct. This proposal aims to provide medical and health training for students and boost the number of health professionals for regional Australia to redress the shortage of doctors in the bush. The website has been established to allow supporters of this initiative to keep up-to-date with the latest information on rural doctor shortages and will feature updated information on CSU’s proposal and the opportunity to register support for ‘a fair go for the health of rural Australia’. The website will be officially launched by Medical Program Development Community Consultative Committee member Ms Audrey Hardman, OAM, at CSU in Orange on Thursday.

The Chancellor of Charles Sturt University (CSU), Mr Lawrie Willett, AO, and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Goulter, will introduce and welcome Professor Andrew Vann as the recently-announced new Vice-Chancellor of the University at a media conference at CSU in Bathurst at 10.30am Thursday 30 June. Professor Goulter announced late last year that he would leave CSU at the end of 2011. Professor Vann, who is presently Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor of James Cook University in north Queensland, was chosen as his successor following an international recruitment search. He will take up his appointment in January 2012. Staff of CSU, representatives of media organisations, local government councillors, and members of parliament are invited to attend. Light refreshments will be served.