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.  

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Andrew Vann will meet with community leaders from the Dubbo region to discuss how CSU can deliver more benefits for the town and community. Professor Vann will host the Vice-Chancellor’s Regional Leaders Luncheon at CSU in Dubbo on August 26 for community leaders and partners, with a view to strengthening partnerships in the region. Professor Vann said the luncheon was an opportunity to discuss how the University could work more closely with community and business groups. “The luncheon will bring together community leaders and partners to discuss the contribution of Charles Sturt University,” he said. “More importantly, it will provide an opportunity for the community to tell us about the opportunities they see for the University to contribute and identify the challenges we can work together to overcome.” Guests will be invited to contribute thoughts and suggestions during the luncheon, which will be held in the Explorers Café at CSU in Dubbo, from noon-2pm.

Leading Charles Sturt University (CSU) ecologist Associate Professor David Watson is part of a vocal group of Australian researchers who fear our parks will become playgrounds for the rich rather than reserves for Australia’s endangered plants and animals. Professor Watson believes the central issue is the “current gross mismanagement of our national parks by States and Territories that runs completely counter to the entire rational of national parks. They are set to be used for drought relief fodder, mining, recreational shooting and increased recreational development in three states. This spells very bad news for ecological systems that are already teetering on the edge,” he said. His comments follow a joint letter by the group on The Conversation website, and support for their concerns by the federal Minister for the Environment, The Hon Tony Burke reported on Thursday 30 May.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic has stated surprise over the latest public debate about breastfeeding in public. A rally of breastfeeding woman was held in the heart of Sydney on Monday 21 January in protest against on-air comments on television show Sunrise about a need for nursing mothers to be “discreet” and “classy” when breastfeeding in public. Ms Pam Shackleton, a lecturer in nursing and midwifery from the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health at CSU in Wagga Wagga, said, “Of course women should and will breastfeed when and where their babies demand. Modesty and discretion have nothing to do with the issue of breastfeeding. It is well established that ‘breast is best’ and as a midwife and an academic, I support the right of women to breastfeed their babies in public in a manner they see fit.  Babies don’t wait when they are hungry; breast feeding is natural and gives the little people the best start in life.  When it comes to breastfeeding, women don’t need to be told how to do it in public.”  

There was a genuine display of delight and surprise by first-year Charles Sturt University (CSU) student, Ms Courtney Turner, when the 18 year old learnt of her $20 000 win in the ‘You + CSU’ competition. While at work for Australia Post in Wagga Wagga this week, Ms Turner was told she had won the competition. After attending Kooringal High School in 2012, Ms Turner received an early offer to study a Bachelor of Physiotherapy at CSU in Albury-Wodonga this year. In its second year, the ‘You + CSU’ competition required entrants to upload a video describing what their ultimate CSU experience would be like. In addition to winning $20 000 towards the cost of her first year education expenses, Ms Turner is the University’s Digital Ambassador for 2013. Ms Turner has credited one of the ideas in her video to her father. “My careers advisor at school let me know about the competition in the middle of last year,” Ms Turner said. “During a subsequent family brainstorming session, my father came up with the idea of world domination and I thought to use a white board and the Ten Commandments. Winning this competition will not only benefit me but help ease the financial pressure on my family at home.” Ms Turner plans to live on campus at Thurgoona during her first year at CSU. You can watch Ms Turner’s reaction to her win and view her winning 'Me + CSU = World Domination!' video here. Further information about how to apply to study at CSU is available here.

Charles Sturt University's (CSU) Regional and Remote Learning Support Team is gearing up to help students living in some of the most remote areas of New South Wales through the 2013 study year. Regional and remote student support advisor Ms Lois Watt, based at CSU in Dubbo, is the latest addition to the team and said the goal was to help students stay engaged and successful in their studies. “Our aim is to make studying with Charles Sturt University by distance education a positive experience for students living in regional and remote areas of the state by helping students stay engaged with the University and ensuring they have the skills they need to succeed in their studies,” Ms Watt said. “This team understands the complexities of studying via distance education in regional and remote areas as they have had similar experiences themselves.” Ms Watt, a New Zealander who recently settled in Australia after working on a tertiary education project in Bahrain, said the Regional and Remote Learning Support team visited towns across the state to hold study sessions with distance education students on a range of topics. “The team can provide support with skills like assignment writing, note-taking, reading skills, online learning, and time management,” she said. “We will either work with students face-to-face, or, when we are not able to visit, we can use email, Facebook, online chat, Skype, telephone or video connections to answer enquiries and offer support. “We also work with Study Centres at Griffith, Parkes and Broken Hill, which allow students to access computers and the internet and are staffed to provide support.” When not ‘on the road’ Ms Watt provides academic support to students studying at CSU in Dubbo.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will close for the Christmas-New Year break from 12.30pm on Friday 21 December and will re-open on Wednesday 2 January 2013. Best wishes to all our readers from the CSU Media team.

Residents of Dubbo and the region are invited to a free community presentation on ‘Understanding Palestine’ at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo on Wednesday 5 December. The presentation is by Mr Shawan Jabarin, General Director of Al Haq, the Palestinian human rights organisation. Mr Jabarin will speak about contemporary life in Palestine. Mr Jabarin is visiting Dubbo as a guest of retired NSW Supreme Court Judge, The Hon. Hal Wootten AC, QC, who developed a friendship with Mr Jabarin during visits to Palestine to assist in the development of law schools. He said Mr Jabarin hoped to see rural Australia and learn something of Aboriginal life during his visit. The presentation will be held in Room 422 at CSU, Tony McGrane Drive, Dubbo, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

Students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo will graduate at a ceremony on Tuesday 11 December. The Head of Campus at CSU in Dubbo, Dr Beverley Moriarty, said, “It’s wonderful that we have more graduates here each year." In 2012, 94 students from teaching, nursing, business and social work courses, along with about 280 guests, will attend the Charles Sturt University graduation in Dubbo. The Occasional Address will be delivered by Western Plains Zoo General Manager, Mr Matthew Fuller.