An innovative experimental winery is set to enhance Australia’s reputation for producing a quality product from the fruit of the vine. The new winery, to be launched on Tuesday 30 January, will be built next to the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre on Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Wagga Wagga Campus, the result of a partnership between CSU, NSW Wine Industry Association and NSW Department of Primary Industries. Director of the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, CSU’s Professor Geoff Scollary says “This year 120 different wines will be produced at the CSU Winery. The expansion will allow production to increase to 150 for the 2008 vintage and provide grape growers and wine producers with strong scientific and practical information to ensure the Australian wine industry remains sustainable and profitable”. Professor Scollary believes the expansion “will further establish CSU as one of the nation’s leading wine extension and research centres”.

David Hunter was determined to complete his PhD thesis before he died of bone marrow cancer in December 2003. After 10 years of juggling study, caring for three young children and cancer treatment, David completed the draft of his thesis on the hermeneutics of French philosopher Paul Ricoeur applied to the Gospel of John, just two weeks before his death at the age of 41. David’s widow, Rev. Jeanette Mathews accepted David’s posthumous Doctorate of Philosophy on his behalf at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Theology graduation earlier this month (June 2). As well as working on his PhD, David was a sessional lecturer in New Testament studies at CSU’s School of Theology which is based at St Mark’s National Theological Centre in Canberra. David Hunter did a degree in Agricultural Science at Melbourne University before switching to theology. After he and Jeanette were married they both completed Bachelor of Divinity degrees at the international Baptist Theological Seminary near Zurich, Switzerland.  They moved to Canberra when Jeanette was appointed Associate Minister at the Canberra Baptist Church in 1997. David combined his PhD work with being a househusband and primary carer of the couple’s three young sons as well as his active involvement in social justice issues and Aboriginal reconciliation. After being diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2000, David kept up his study which Jeanette says was “life-giving and sustaining” for him during his illness. “As I stood in David’s place to accept his PhD I felt his life’s work had been completed but it wouldn’t have been finished without the help and support of our friends and colleagues at St Mark’s,” said Jeanette who is also a sessional lecturer at St Mark’s National Theological Centre.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Professor of Theology and Executive Director of the University’s Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, Reverend Professor James Haire, was made a member of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2006 announced on 12 June. Reverend Professor Haire was awarded a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to religion and the community through the promotion of ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, the Uniting Church in Australia and theological education. Born in Ireland, James Haire studied at Oxford University in UK and was ordained a minister in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland in 1972. Since moving to Australia in 1985, Rev. Professor Haire has held numerous positions including current president of the National Council of Churches in Australia (since 2003); president of the National Assembly Uniting Church in Australia (2000-2003); and joint chair of the Uniting and Roman Catholic Church Australian National Dialogue (1992-2004). CSU Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ross Chambers praised Professor Haire’s leadership in promoting dialogue between the churches and between Christians, Muslims and Jews. “Reverend Professor Haire’s high quality work in ecumenism and interfaith dialogue is particularly important in Australia at this time in history. Under Professor Haire’s leadership it has become an important focus of teaching and research at CSU,” Professor Chambers said.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic hopes the latest research into the youth labour market will put to rest the mistaken belief that young Australians are prone to unemployment and there is a need for drastic action and policy change to avoid youth joblessness. Associate Professor Erica Smith from CSU’s Faculty of Education said a recent study released by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) challenges reports of a “crisis” in the youth labour market and supports her own national research conducted over the past eight years. “Young people are not deficient or victims when it comes to entering the labour market. My studies and now other national research shows that they can confidently navigate the transition from school to work,” said Professor Smith. “The risks of the myth that young people are disadvantaged when entering the job market from school is that the school curriculum is constantly being challenged and sometimes amended to mould young people when the changes are unnecessary,” said the vocational education and training specialist.

Allied health students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) accompanied by two academic staff leave this weekend to spend up to six weeks working with children in a Vietnamese orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon.The students will gain important practical experience working with the children, many of whom have severe disabilities. Organised by the University’s School of Community Health, this is the fourth visit by the health students and staff to the Phu My orphanage which provides schooling and health care for around 350 orphans. The 11 students who are studying physiotherapy, speech pathology and occupational therapy,have raised $2 700 from student clubs and fundraising to purchase resources and equipment for the orphanage and pay for Vietnamese interpreters.  

A deed of agreement has been signed by the NSW Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald and Charles Sturt University (CSU) Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter over a series of land transfers to boost agricultural research in Orange. The agreement will eventually see the Orange Agricultural Institute transferred to a purpose-built facility in a new agricultural science and research precinct at CSU in Orange. “The new centre would be physically located on the CSU precinct, meaning Institute staff will be able to work shoulder-to-shoulder with CSU agricultural research teams,” said Mr Macdonald.Highlighting a number of key partnerships between DPI and the University, Professor Ian Goulter said, “this deed is not just for CSU, not just for the Orange community but it is important for NSW agriculture and for Australia”. ABARE forecasts export earnings for farm commodities in 2005-06 will reach $27.2 billion.

The future of the universe from the perspective of science and the Christian theological tradition will be explored in a conference sponsored by Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Public and Contextual Theology Research Centre (PACT). From Resurrection to Return: Perspectives from Theology and Science on Christian Eschatology follows conferences on science and theology in Canberra in 2001 and in Adelaide in 2004. The conference will be held on Wednesday 29 March and Thursday 30 March in St Mark’s National Theological Centre and the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, Barton, ACT. Among the keynote speakers are renowned theologian and New Testament scholar, Rt. Reverend Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham; Reverend Professor Robert J. Russell, founder and director of the Centre for Theology and the Natural Sciences, Berkeley, California; and Reverend Professor Ted Peters, Professor of Theology, Pacific Lutheran Seminary and co-editor of Theology and Science. “The conference is an exciting opportunity for scholars from various disciplines to share insights on an important theme and strengthen our links nationally and internationally in the science and religion dialogue,” said PACT Director, Professor James Haire.

After 27 years developing theatre and drama education at Charles Sturt University (CSU) Ray Goodlass is retiring this Friday, 17 March. Ray is senior lecturer and postgraduate course coordinator in the School of Visual and Performing Arts at CSU and chaired the Arts and Culture Research Group of the University's Centre for Rural Social Research. Dean of CSU’s Faculty of Arts, Professor Lyn Gorman praised Ray’s long-term contribution to theatre education at CSU, his passion for regional theatre and the cultural life of Wagga Wagga. Involved in drama education all his adult life, Ray has directed over 100 professional and student productions, most recently as resident director for the University Theatre Ensemble. He has been a guest lecturer on acting and script analysis at UCLA, Los Angeles and NIDA and was director of the Riverina Theatre Company for two years. “Ray’s work as an artist has in turn challenged, provoked, enriched and engaged Wagga Wagga audiences for nearly 30 years,” said Kevin Poynter, lecturer in Design for Theatre and Television at CSU. In his ‘retirement’, Ray plans to complete his PhD on the poetics of gay theatre and continue his trade union and political advocacy work

The University Theatre Ensemble’s (UTE) production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible in 2005 has been recognised in the annual Canberra Area Theatre Awards. Charles Sturt University (CSU) student Naomi Clegg was named the winner of the Best Costume Design (Play) in the Canberra regional awards held in February 2006. Miss Clegg is due to graduate from CSU in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts (Design for Theatre and Television). UTE is the stage production arm of the acting and theatre and television design degree courses within the University’s School of Visual and Performing Arts in Wagga Wagga.  The productions involve final year acting students and are designed by final year theatre design students. “As our licence to produce The Crucible stipulated that the play be produced in period, Naomi had to undertake an enormous amount of research to design costumes that were true to colonial Massachusetts in 1692 and she more than lived up to all this research,” said director of The Crucible and senior CSU lecturer Ray Goodlass. “Ms Clegg’s achievement in the Canberra Area Theatre Awards demonstrates not only the quality of our students but also the significant contribution the University makes to the artistic diversity of the regions we serve,” said Dean of CSU Arts Faculty Professor Lyn Gorman.