During International Year of Chemistry 2011, the role chemistry plays in telling us about changes in the world around us is the focus of a seminar at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Monday 18 July. The seminar, entitled Chemistry in the real world – from nanotechnology to freshwater ecology, will showcase research in chemistry in the University’s School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences. Senior lecturer Dr Paul Prenzler said the study of chemistry helps us to have a better understanding of what is happening in the real world. “Underlying our health as humans and the health of the environment around us are chemical processes that can take place at very small or ‘nano’ levels or large scales, such as water quality in rivers,” he said. The seminar will discuss antioxidants and human health, river and soil health, along with wine colour and quality.

A national conference for Australian pharmacy students will be held at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga in 2012. Members of the University’s student club, Pharmers' Society  won a competitive bid to host the National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association or NAPSA Congress in January 2012. “Our successful bid to host this national event is sweetened by the fact this is the first time the annual NAPSA conference will be held in a regional centre,” fourth year CSU pharmacy student Mr Sean Dodd said. “We are very proud that the event will be held in inland Australia. It is a vote of confidence in those of us that choose to live, study and ultimately pursue our chosen profession in regional Australia to improve health services,” pharmacy student Ms Amy Minett said. “The work has now begun to stage a relevant and cutting edge conference in Wagga Wagga for more than 200 students from 13 universities,” Mr Dodd said. Head of CSU’s School of Biomedical Sciences Associate Professor Lyndall Angel said, “Again the pharmacy students at Charles Sturt University have shone and shown their maturity and dedication to serve rural and regional Australia”. Read more about the NAPSA Congress Wagga Wagga 2012  here.

According to Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer Dr Igor Novak, science is essentially Man’s attempt at understanding nature and the world around him driven, in part, by necessity. Dr Novak’s book ‘Science a Many-splendored Thing’, to be launched on Thursday 11 August, will acquaint non-scientists with science as a wide-ranging human activity. “In the 1955 film Love is a Many-splendored Thing, the director H King explored problems which cultural barriers, driven by irrational adherence to tradition, pose for human emotional relationships,” Dr Novak said. “And yet these many-facetted relationships are the source of endless variety and enrichment for human existence. A similar situation exists in modern science. Advances in science and technology have terrified or alienated many people who are afraid to explore the richness and diversity of nature and of us humans. I hope that this book can allay some of those fears.” Dr Novak is a lecturer in CSU’s School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences.

How each private landholder can conserve Australia’s flora and fauna will be presented to Orange residents in a free public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) on Friday 12 August. Chief Executive Officer of the Nature Conservation Trust of NSW, Mr Paul Toni, says NSW is home to an incredible array of plant and animal species. “However, more than 70 of the State's flora and fauna species are presumed extinct in recent decades and over 1 000 native species, populations and ecological communities are threatened with extinction. Many others are also in decline. Just under eight percent of this rich natural heritage is held in protected areas such as national parks and reserves, while the vast majority of the State's land is under private ownership. As a result, networks of landholders who protect our unique native animals and plants for future generations are crucial. This lecture will discuss the importance of private landholders for conserving habitat on their land, and ways in which they can do so.”

Succession planning and the future of beef production will be discussed by guest speakers at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Orange Ag Club’s Rural Links dinner on Thursday 11 August. The annual dinner aims to link students and graduates from the Agricultural Business Management course, as well as CSU lecturers and industry representatives. This year’s dinner will feature Ms Lyn Sykes, a well-recognised speaker on succession planning, and local beef producer Mr Ross Wills. Orange Ag Club president Mr Richard Connell says the dinner is just part of what the club achieves each year. "The Orange Ag Club is the base of networking for students and professionals who are interested in the agricultural industry around Orange.” A three-course meal is included in the ticket price of $40 for Orange Ag Club members and $45 for non-members.

The annual Charles Sturt University (CSU) Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence will be presented at a ceremony at the University in Bathurst on Monday 5 September. The Vice-Chancellor and President of CSU, Professor Ian Goulter, said, “The 2011 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence acknowledge the commitment, dedication and ongoing excellence demonstrated by both academic and professional staff across Charles Sturt University. I thank the award recipients for their efforts which collectively contribute to the continued success of the University.” The ceremony will start at 1pm at the James Hardie Room, Centre for Professional Development (S17) atCSU, Panorama Ave, Bathurst. A ceremony for the presentation of awards to CSU staff at its southern campuses was held on Monday 29 August.

Students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange and Wagga Wagga will receive state-wide rural scholarships from the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) of NSW Foundation. Four CSU students from Orange and seven from Wagga Wagga are among almost 40 people from across NSW who will receive a scholarship, each valued at between $1 500 and $5 000 . The scholarships are awarded by the Foundation to students who ‘demonstrate a passion for rural issues and the determination to make a difference’. A ceremony will be held on Thursday 21 July from 6pm at CSU in Wagga Wagga where RAS Foundation director Mr John B Fairfax, AO, will present the scholarships to local students. A similar ceremony was held in Orange on Thursday 14 July.

The biology behind the current obesity epidemic in the Western world will be explored by Dr Wouter Kalle from Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Biomedical Sciences at a public lecture titled ‘Evolution, genetics and psychology: the holistic view on obesity’ on Friday 22 July. “It is amazing to see how the evolution of the human brain has given enormous advantages to the species but also how these advantages can lead to health problems in certain social and cultural settings,” Dr Kalle said. The lecture will cover the basics of human evolution and genetics. Including examples and stories, the lecture will also go into the specifics of the development of human nutrition and human food patterns before finally touching on obesity and its biological ‘triggers’. Dr Kalle jokes, “Unfortunately this lecture will not give an easy slimming solution”.

Australian insects and their relationship with eucalypt trees is part of Ms Anamika Sharma’s studies for her PhD in entomology at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange. Originally from a city in Rajasthan in India, Ms Sharma has always been fascinated with insects and their role in the environment. “I used to work at a forest institute so I have a vast knowledge of trees and insects but this is the first time I’ve worked with Eucalypts and Australian insects so I have a lot to learn.” Ms Sharma will work with academics at CSU and staff at the Orange Agricultural Institute to put together a proposal for her research. “It’s a matter of narrowing down my research to one or two specific species of insects and their relationship with one or two species of Eucalyptus. Then I hope to study their physiological, chemical and molecular interaction to help develop some resistant species of eucalypts.” Ms Sharma has left behind a close family including two elder brothers but is enjoying her time in Orange. “It’s a beautiful place.”