A philosophical play written and directed by two Charles Sturt University (CSU) acdemics will have a second performance on Thursday 28 April due to popular demand as part of the current Greek Festival in Sydney. The play, Wise After the Fact, is by Dr Edward Spence, and is directed by Mr Ray Harding, both lecturers at the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst. “Wise After the Fact examines the origins and development of Wisdom in ancient Greece, and juxtaposes this with the dilemmas confronting individuals and society in the present Age of Information,” Dr Spence said. “I also discuss philosophy with the audience, and the first performance (on 14 April) was so successful the festival organisers invited us to return.”

A public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange on Friday night 29 April will explore the creation and use of a range of technology and computer-generated images in modern film, television and other media. Mr Andrew Hagan, lecturer in animation and visual effects at the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries will discuss ‘Making the imaginary real: Revealing insights into the mysterious world of animation and visual effects’. The Head of Campus at CSU in Orange, Professor Kevin Parton, said the free public lecture is open to members of the community and will provide insights into both the technology and career opportunities. The CSU Bachelor of Arts (Animation and Visual Effects) is the only Bachelor degree in Australia dedicated to the art of animation and visual effects. The public lecture starts at 6pm Friday 29 April in Lecture Theatre 3 at CSU in Orange.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic has been recognised for the vigorous pursuit of his profession to help improve health outcomes of rural and remote Australians. The Rotary 9700 District Vocational Excellence Award was presented to Professor Patrick Ball in front of several hundred Rotarians during the District’s annual conference, which was hosted by The Rotary Club of Orange North on Saturday 2 April. “While I am named on the award, this honour is made possible by team work,” said Professor Ball. “I could not do my job as Professor of Rural Pharmacy without the support and dedication of the entire pharmacy team at Charles Sturt University in Orange and Wagga Wagga.” The Vocational Excellence Award recognises those “who have demonstrated very high achievements in their vocation, and contributed significantly to the advancement of that vocation in their community, nationally or globally.”

The Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Communication and Creative Industries will co-host, with the Centre for Media History, a two-day interdisciplinary symposium in Bathurst on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 May to mark the centenary of the ‘bible of the bush’ in NSW, The Land newspaper. Ms Margaret Van Heekeren, lecturer in journalism at the School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst, said the symposium, titled The Land: Past, Present and Future, will bring together media scholars to reflect on how the media sees rural and regional Australia. “The idea for the symposium was sparked by The Land anniversary but the symposium is really a broader look at how rural and regional areas have been represented in media, and how they interact with media. We have presentations covering newspapers as well as radio and film,” Ms Van Heekeren said. Academics from several universities will present papers on a range of topics related to The Land newspaper, and the general media coverage of issues affecting rural Australia in the last 100 years.

The challenges of working to improve the lives of subsistence farmers in war torn African countries will be featured in a public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 11 May 2011. In the lecture titled Sex, babies, money, violence and genetics, international genetics consultant and adjunct senior lecturer with the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Dr Sara McClintock will share her experiences working with the International Livestock Research Centre in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia.  “I was running a lab trying to produce cheap embryos that would produce 95 per cent female calves to increase the profitability of a local farmer’s cow so she could afford to send her children to school and feed them a little milk.” Dr McClintock said in times of civil unrest, crops are often destroyed, seed stocks stolen and farm animals eaten by the tribal militias. “These animals are usually a local breed that has survived in tough conditions, may be worm resistant or have a low feed requirement,” she said. “One of the solutions is to conserve germ plasma, such as semen, in liquid nitrogen but this can be politically sensitive because many developing countries are paranoid about developed countries stealing their genetic material.”

Staff and students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange will down books to pick up shovels and seedlings to plant new trees and shrubs around the campus on Friday 27 July. Coordinator of the event, Ms Betty-Ann Nannes, said, “The planned tree planting is an initiative of CSU Green, in conjunction with National Tree Day, and is a great opportunity to improve our natural environment and enhance biodiversity on the campus. We expect about 35 students will plant about 500 mostly native trees, many of which are ‘local’ to the area, around the new School of Dentistry and Health Sciences building and new residences known as the Spring Creek Village.” CSU aims to have 20 per cent of University land contributing to increased biodiversity by 2015 to protect native flora and fauna. Participants will meet at car park 5, near Bartlett House, for tree planting from 10am to 2pm on 27 July, followed by a barbeque.

The Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Andrew Vann, will officially open the new Cellar Door at CSU in Orange on Monday 30 July. Mr Justin Byrne, marketing manager at the CSU Winery, said, “The creation of the Cellar Door in Orange by the University is a strategic initiative that recognises the importance of the vineyard as a fruit source for the Charles Sturt University Winery and the importance of the Orange wine region as a small but important player in the Australian wine industry. This new use for the Machinery Centre enhances the building and gives it new life in a very dynamic local industry. The location, opposite the Chardonnay vineyard, is ideal for enhancing the understanding of the connection between the growing of grapes and the making and selling of wine. The 18 hectare vineyard at CSU in Orange is planted with a number of grape varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.”

Agriculture and animal science students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) will get a head start on job hunting at a student-led career fair tomorrow, Wednesday 1 August. More than 220 students from CSU’s School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences and School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences  will meet with over 30 prospective employers from agribusiness, government departments, research organisations and farming groups. “It’s a chance for potential employers to promote their organisations and provide information about what it takes to pursue a career within these industries,” said member of the organising committee and Bachelor of Animal Science student Mr Isaac Allen. Students from CSU in Wagga Wagga, Orange and Albury-Wodonga will attend the fair which will include a career development workshop and a panel discussion with recent graduates.

For the first time, Orange Buslines has included Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange on its bus route this week. Travelling on the first bus to the campus, Head of Campus at CSU in Orange, Professor Kevin Parton, said the service is of great convenience to the staff and students. “The Charles Sturt University campus is on the outskirts of Orange so in the past students have needed a bike or car to travel to classes. Now they can catch the bus almost anywhere in town to attend classes and return home in the same fashion. It’s good to know students don’t have the pressure of purchasing a bike or car when they first arrive here. It is hoped that more staff can leave their cars at home and catch the busy to work, to reduce our carbon footprint even more,” Professor Parton said. At this stage, the bus will travel to CSU and back three times a day picking up passengers from Hill Street, Summer Street and Dalton Street bus stops and dropping off at the Orange campus.