Members of the public, health professionals, academics and students are invited to a free public lecture by Dr Brian Maguire, a visiting US Fulbright scholar at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst, on Wednesday 19 May. Professor Peter O’Meara, Professor in Paramedic Practice and Leadership at the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU in Bathurst said it was a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in the future of paramedic and ambulance services to hear and meet Dr Maguire, a researcher who is contributing to the shaping of paramedic practice and services around the world. “Dr Maguire's groundbreaking research in the United States was the first to show that ambulance personnel in that country have an occupational fatality rate and a non-fatal injury rate that is far above the national average and comparable to the rates for police and fire-fighters,” Professor O’Meara said.

A play based on William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be staged by students and staff from the School of Communication and Creative Industries at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst, at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre from Thursday 27 to Saturday 29 May. The Popular Mechanicals is directed by Ms Annabel Scholes, a lecturer in theatre and event management, and is designed by Mr Karl Shead, a theatre technical officer at CSU, in association with CYCLE Productions. “The play was written by Australian playwrights Tony Taylor and Keith Robinson and was first presented in 1987 at the Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney,” Ms Scholes said. “It is the hilarious, off-stage story of six clowns - Bottom, Quince, Flute, Starveling, Snug and Snout - as they prepare for immortal fame by performing their version of Pyramus and Thisbe at the Royal Wedding. As they rehearse they are unaware of their own limitations and foolishness, and we love them for their belief in themselves as they sing and dance their way to inevitable ruination.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will be the venue for the annual FACTS Day (Facts About Careers and Tertiary Study) to be staged by the Central West Careers Advisers Association on Thursday 27 May. Approximately 1 000 Year 12 students from schools in Bathurst, Lithgow, Kandos, Oberon, Blayney, Cowra, Orange and Molong will have the opportunity 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. Ms Fran Dwyer, a CSU Prospective Student Adviser, said, “This day offers our regional final-year high school students the opportunity to experience our University by attending the campus. It incorporates access to educational providers and a motivational speaker, and some schools will also take the opportunity while here to tour the campus.”

A mental health worker from the remote Pilbara region of Australia’s far northwest has been honoured by Charles Sturt University (CSU) for her achievements in the unique Djirruwang Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health Program. Ms Katie Papertalk is the first Western Australian student in the University’s Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health) degree to receive a Faculty of Science Dean’s Award. Students who have achieved consistent Distinctions or High Distinctions are nominated for the award. In a ceremony in the Marr Mooditj Foundation garden in Perth, Ms Papertalk was presented the Dean’s Award by the Djirruwang Program Director Mr Wayne Rigby. “Receiving a Dean’s Award is a proud moment for any student and for an Aboriginal student it is an honour for themselves as well as their family and community,” Mr Rigby said. Since its inception as a pilot program in southern NSW in 1994, the Djirruwang Program has graduated 111 mental health workers. “With the support of the WA Department of Health, Charles Sturt University expects a record student intake from Western Australia in 2011,” said Mr Rigby.

Charles Student University (CSU) animal science students came face to face with the harsh reality of elephant cruelty and mistreatment during a visit to Thailand to undertake a project on wildlife conservation. The 18 day excursion in January centred on volunteer work at the Elephant Nature Park near Chang Mai in the country’s north. The park rescues maltreated, physically handicapped and mentally disturbed Asian elephants and provides a sanctuary for their rehabilitation. One agricultural science and 17 animal science students from CSU returned from the trip last week, recounting their cherished experiences being ‘up close and personal’ when feeding and washing the elephants. Course Coordinator of the CSU veterinary science program, Dr Gaye Krebs said the trip was an incredible learning experience and one student is planning to return to the park next year. “It was the impetus for one student to propose an Honours project with Lek, who runs the park, which is a fantastic outcome,” said Dr Krebs. “The trip went ahead with the assistance of CSU Global and the IGA supermarket at Hillston who donated $6 000 towards costs.”

A passion to assess the impact of climate change on some of the world’s driest places has attracted Dr Antonio Castro from his native Spain to Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga for the past six months. A visiting research fellow with CSU’s Institute for Land, Water and Society (ILWS), Dr Castro is assessing the possible impacts of global climate change on Spain, especially the dry south-eastern Andalusia region. He was drawn to Australia to investigate Associate Professor Gary Luck’s major project on assessing ecosystem services, those services provided by the natural environment that enhance the man-made environment, such as carbon storage, timber production, pest control, flower pollination and biodiversity conservation. He hopes to incorporate the skills and knowledge he has developed with Professor Luck into his own research. Dr Castro said he was impressed with the Institute, having never seen ecological, social and cultural views coming together in one institution. “Albury is also a very comfortable city and Australians are very friendly,” Dr Castro said.

Winning awards isn’t everything, but for one Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic it’s made all the hard work even more worthwhile. Every year the world’s leading publisher of business and management research, Emerald Group, invites their 200 journal editorial teams to nominate what they believe has been that title’s outstanding paper from the previous 12 months. CSU’s School of Accounting academic, Associate Professor Jayne Bisman’s paper Making the mainstream: An analysis of the scholarly literature on accounting in China 1999-2008 published in Asian Review of Accounting, has been chosen as an Outstanding Paper Award Winner at the Literati Network Awards for Excellence 2010. Professor Bisman was thrilled with the acknowledgement. “Myself and co-author Weini Liao worked extremely hard on the paper and were proud of the finished product. This award is the icing on the cake.”

The efforts of Charles Sturt University (CSU) to continually improve its environmental initiatives have been recognised in state-wide awards. Under the NSW Government’s Sustainability Advantage Recognition Scheme, CSU has been awarded a Bronze Partnership for its demonstrated commitment to business sustainability. In 2008, the University established CSU Green  to coordinate and monitor the organisation’s sustainability efforts. “Sustainability is a central theme of Charles Sturt University’s strategy and one of the four key themes of our Institutional Development Plan,” said CSU Green Manager Mr William Adlong. “This award gives us an indication we are on track with our environmental initiatives in biodiversity, energy, transport, waste and water.” Ahead of World Environment Day, Mr Adlong accepted the Bronze Partnership on Friday 4 June during a ceremony in Sydney. Read more about CSU Green here.

Two Charles Sturt University (CSU) Faculty of Arts graduates are finalists in the 2010 Australia China Alumni Awards. At a reception in the Australian pavilion at Shanghai Expo on Tuesday 25 May, Ms Kara Jenkinson, a disaster preparedness delegate for the Australian Red Cross, was announced as a finalist in the Australian Education International Young Australian Alumni of the Year for the second year in a row, while Ms Anthea Webb, director of the United Nations World Food Program in China, was announced asa finalist for the Women in Leadership award. Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Anthony Cahalan said, “The fact we have two graduates listed as finalists in these internationally recognised awards is testament to the high quality degrees we offer at Charles Sturt University.” The winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Shanghai on Saturday 10 July.