A free all-ages event at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst, at 5pm Tuesday 12 November, will start the rural leg of the Australia Museum’s Festival of Science 2013. The multi-event festival aims to encourage people to see and understand the science they encounter every day, and includes hands-on experiments and practical demonstrations. CSU spokesperson Dr James Crane, lecturer in physiology and anatomy in the CSU School of Biomedical Sciences in Bathurst, said, “Charles Sturt University is excited to play host to the Australian Museum’s Science Festival. To meet the challenges of the future, Australia needs people from all walks of life and backgrounds to have an appreciation for science and how science is done. This festival is a truly fantastic opportunity to introduce children, and re-introduce adults, to some of the excitement of doing science and learning about the world we live in. It offers primary and high school students, as well as the general public, an unparalleled opportunity to get hands-on and ‘do’ science. There really is something for everyone. As part of this festival, staff and students from the University’s paramedic program will be teaching CPR, performing a simulated vehicle extraction, and discussing the science behind paramedic practice and first aid.”

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher believes effective biosecurity is the most humane and affordable way of preventing the spread of Avian Influenza from wild waterfowl to poultry operations. Birds on a second egg farm near Young in NSW have been confirmed to have the H7 strain of Avian Influenza, different to the H5N1 strain which can affect humans. Dr Andrew Peters, lecturer in Veterinary Pathology with the  School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga has an interest in the spread of parasites and disease in wild bird populations.  He said various strains of Avian Influenza circulate naturally in populations of waterfowl but rarely causes disease in these wild birds. “Different species of waterfowl play different roles in the transmission and maintenance of Avian Influenza in the natural environment,” said Dr Peters. “There is a need to better characterise this in Australia, as well as the ecology of these species, and by doing so develop cost-effective biosecurity measures to protect free-range poultry operations.” 

As regional cities slowly move into surrounding farms and bushlands, native animals such as the squirrel glider have become threatened by loss of suitable habitat. Charles Sturt University (CSU) wildlife researcher and Honours student, Mr Mitchell Francis, has found that better land planning in developing cities could help the survival of threatened species such as the squirrel glider. In a study of urban and rural environments on the northern edge of Albury at Thurgoona, Mr Francis found squirrel gliders, which live in tree hollows for nesting and foraging, preferred tall, large hollow bearing native trees where there was less urban noise, fewer roads, and less light pollution from human sources such as streetlights and houses. “I suspect that roads are barriers to the movement of squirrel gliders for foraging, and light and noise pollution from nearby developing suburbs are a threat to their persistence,” Mr Francis said. His supervisor, Dr Peter Spooner, noted that in much of eastern Australia, towns and cities are expanding into habitat which is critical for native fauna. “Knowledge of urban impacts on animals like the squirrel glider is important for town planners who are making decisions to approve urban developments on the edge of town and cities.”

Three students from All Saints College in Bathurst have taken out the local prize in the 2013 Game On competition for Year 10 and 11 students enrolled in commerce, economics, legal studies and other related subjects in central NSW. Three All Saints students - James Keech, Alex Mitton and Juan Kritzinger - built and operated their own ‘virtual’ business, titled ‘AJJG Smart Tech’, in a computer simulated market and competition hosted by CSU’s Faculty of Business. Local Game On coordinator and Head of School of Management and Marketing Associate Professor Mark Frost said, “The exercise aims to help students develop skills in finance, human resource management, marketing and operations that are relevant to the real world. The game complements the Stage 6 NSW Business Studies curriculum.” The simulation ran from May until September 2013 with eight rounds of competition between over 550 students from 23 NSW high schools from Port Macquarie to Albury, including 24 teams in the central west. It enables students to learn through hands-on experience and encourages students to apply these key business principles to their own ‘virtual’ business.

Researchers at Charles Sturt University (CSU) are seeking male smokers aged 18 to 50 years in the NSW central west to participate in two smoking and exercise studies. The first study consists of four sessions involving smoking or exercise conditions; the second study involves a 14-week exercise training and smoking reduction program. Ms Tegan Kastelein, a PhD student from the School of Human Movement Studies CSU in Bathurst said, “The purpose of the research is firstly to examine the cerebro-vascular and inflammatory responses to both cigarette smoking and exercise, and secondly, to examine the effects of a 14-week exercise training and smoking reduction program on disease risk in a smoker population. It is anticipated that the research findings will enhance our current understanding of the effects of tobacco smoke, the role of exercise in reducing disease risk, and provide the community with alternative methods for smoking reduction and/or cessation.” To find out more about the research and exercise program, please contact Ms Kastelein on (02) 6338 6101 or send an email to: tkastelein@csu.edu.au.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Winery will launch a new-look series of labels for its Charles Sturt and Reserve ranges at CSU in Bathurst on Tuesday 1 October. Marketing manager Mr Justin Byrne said the new labels reflected the University’s history and spirit of exploration. “The labels feature the rivers of regional NSW, the Macquarie, the Murray, the Murrumbidgee and the Darling,” he said. “It was the explorer Charles Sturt who first traced the Murray and the Murrumbidgee, and those journeys are also represented on the labels.” Mr Byrne said Charles Sturt University Winery had been making wine, and winemakers, for more than 35 years. “We own and operate two vineyards, growing warm climate varieties in Wagga Wagga and cool climate varieties in Orange, and also work with growers in other regions. We have two production facilities in Wagga Wagga; a commercial winery producing our three product ranges and an experimental winery producing our student wines.” CSU staff and local business people will attend the launch event and the new labels will be on shelves throughout NSW and Victoria in the coming months.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Council has welcomed the appointment of three new highly successful alumni to its ranks. Mrs Jennifer Hayes from Albury-Wodonga is a former senior executive of the Mars Corporation, including as a senior financial executive in Asia Pacific and Europe.  Ms Saranne Cooke from Bathurst joins the Council from the energy sector and recently led a team working on energy sector reform in NSW.  Ms Cooke is also a Director of the Western Medicare Local.  Mr Jamie Newman from Orange is a member of a number of boards and committees, and is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Orange Aboriginal Medical Service. He is a descendent of the Kalar tribe of the Wiradjuri nation.  The new appointees join current CSU alumni members Mr Angelos Frangopoulos (CEO of SkyNews Australia and Board Member of the Victor Chang Foundation) and Mr Peter Hayes (a Wine Industry Consultant who has held senior positions with the CRC for Irrigation Futures, CRC for Viticulture and the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation).  The Council also welcomed Mr Robert Fitzpatrick, an external independent appointee, who currently heads up the infrastructure, transport and logistics business with the National Centre of Excellence in ICT Australia and spent 7 years in global consulting for McKinsey in international business and technology. Under the leadership of Chancellor Mr Lawrence Willett, AO, the CSU Council has 15 members.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) dentistry student Ms Jessica Zachar has been recognised for her work raising awareness of rural health issues with a National Rural Health Leadership Award. Ms Zachar received the award from Future Health Leaders during the organisation’s Rural Health Leadership forum, held at CSU in Orange recently. Ms Zachar said she was delighted to receive the award. “I chose to study dentistry at Charles Sturt University because I am a strong supporter of the University’s motto ‘For the Public Good’,” she said. “It is my vision and goal to bridge the gap in oral health education and services for rural communities, not only locally but also nationally.” Ms Zachar was recognised for her involvement in the CSU Student Dental Association and its work, in partnership with the Carevan Foundation, to promote oral hygiene instruction to primary school children in regional and rural communities of New South Wales. “There is still a huge gap in the oral health education in our society,” she said. “Statistics show that by the age of six, 50 per cent of children will have tooth decay. This is quite alarming for a developed country and it is evident that the importance of oral health is undervalued and urgently needs to be addressed.” The first group of Bachelor of Dental Science students will graduate from CSU in Orange in December.  

The week-long 2013 SPRUNG Festival of Creativity kicks off at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Friday 27 September and runs until Saturday 5 October. The 2013 SPRUNG Festival features eight distinct shows at three venues at CSU in Bathurst, in a range of theatrical genres from children’s theatre to physical theatre, comedies and drama. There will also be short film and live TV screenings, and a live-music night on Wednesday 2 October. There is even adult puppetry. Mr Dan Aubin, theatre/media lecturer at the School of Communication and Creative Industries at CSU in Bathurst said, “The Festival showcases the combined talents of 70 theatre/media students across all years, and has helped launch the careers of many graduates. This year’s event is a really exciting mix of theatre, with something for everyone. The various productions are rotated across the week-long schedule, so different shows can be seen at different times.” More information about the performance schedule and ticket purchases can be found online here.