Charles Sturt University (CSU) students can learn about travel scholarships and overseas study opportunities at the second biannual CSU Global Showcase in Orange on Thursday 14 August. Manager of CSU Global, Dr Shevahn Telfser said, "The CSU Global Showcase celebrates the many varied experiences that students have when studying at the University. It will be held on several campuses, including online, over the coming weeks, and is a wonderful event that lets many students showcase the opportunities they have had to study overseas and the benefits they gained. It will be a great opportunity to meet returned exchange students, past short-term program participants, incoming exchange students from partner universities, and CSU Global staff to share stories and details about the various programs on offer." CSU Global administers scholarships worth $3 000 to $5 000 to study in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, China, Hong Kong, and Korea. The CSU Global Showcase will be held from 6pm to 8pm on Thursday 14 August in room 120, building 1004, at CSU in Orange.

Year 12 students from central west high schools will visit Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange on Wednesday 11 June for workshops about HSC agriculture subjects, as part of the university's MyDay program. MyDay is designed to give high school students who have expressed interest in a particular area of study a taste of 'living and learning' on campus at CSU. The agriculture HSC workshops will include a tour of the campus and sessions on farming in the 21st century, agrifood, fibre and fuel, and climate challenge. Other topics will include plant reproduction and genetics, farm product studies, and exam preparation. MyDay events are  planned for CSU in Orange, Bathurst, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga throughout June and July on a range of career areas, including teaching and education, agriculture, nursing, biomedical sciences, communication, and policing and justice studies. Visit here for further details.

More than $42 000 in scholarships will be awarded to students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange at a ceremony from 9.30am to 11.30am on Wednesday 28 May. Honours student in the Bachelor of Pharmacy Ms Samantha Boog, who attended local schools before continuing her studies at CSU, will receive the Capital Chemist and Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (NSW) Scholarship. Ms Boog said she believed she has an excellent foundation for a career in health as her mother was a midwife and both her grandmothers were nurses. "These scholarships will help me contribute 100 per cent towards my research, which will benefit the pharmaceutical field," she said. Bachelor of Pharmacy student Ms Jessica Morgan-Thomas will also receive the Capital Chemist Scholarship. "My goal is to become a community pharmacist in a regional area and to provide a high standard of professional health services to the local community," she said. The Capital Chemist Scholarships have been offered to students in each year of the pharmacy degree since the course began in 1997. Bachelor of Physiotherapy student Ms Chelsea Noon will receive the EnergyAustralia Scholarship. She said she aims to provide physiotherapy with a focus on musculoskeletal physiotherapy or pediatrics in regional and rural areas, and to open her own business. Energy Australia has been a supporter of the Charles Sturt Foundation Scholarship scheme for the last four years. Head of Campus Dr Heather Robinson said, "Scholarships provide valuable support to our students, allowing them to focus on their studies and work towards their professional and career goals. CSU appreciates the significant contributions of our scholarship donors and the part they play in our students' success."  The scholarships ceremony will be held in the Templers Mill Bar area at CSU in Orange in conjunction with the Deans' Awards for Excellence. Read more about CSU scholarships here.

The people of Hillston can help develop a better way of accounting for the social impacts of new projects or natural disasters through research being undertaken at Charles Sturt University's (CSU) Institute for Land, Water and Society.  PhD candidate Ms Jenni Greig is seeking participants to complete a survey that aims to gather simple information to assess whether we can anticipate how major changes affect a community. "I hope this study can help develop future government policies, particularly those that affect rural and regional Australians," Ms Greig said. "We can anticipate how major changes will affect the local environment or local economy, but decisions are often made with little information on what is really important to people, and how their lives might be affected. Not everyone will be affected in the same way by a major change, so it is important to get a whole picture of various opinions in a community." Ms Grieg and three CSU researchers will be in Hillston from Thursday 12 June, going door-to-door to distribute the survey to residents. "Through this survey, you can make a difference to the way changes in regional communities around Australia are viewed by decision makers," Ms Grieg said.

The risks of driving while under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs. or while tired, are being brought home to students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) during a drug awareness campaign until Friday 6June. Organised by the University's Health Promotions Service, the campaign involves parking damaged motorbikes and cars at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange and Wagga Wagga. Health Promotions Officer at CSU Ms Coleen Pearce said, "These vehicles, which are on loan from local businesses, have been sign posted and cordoned off. They aim to show students what can happen if they drink and drive or take drugs and get behind the wheel. The awareness campaign supports the Plan B road safety campaign."

Orange community members have been invited to join staff at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange for a tree planting day on Friday 16 May. The planting will fill gaps in a large windbreak designed to improve habitat for declining woodland birds and other wildlife, and to improve farm sustainability. Adjunct environmental management lecturer from the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences at CSU in Orange Dr Cilla Kinross said, "We have 200 odd trees for this purpose, all grown by the 'Little Trees' volunteer propagation group on campus." Interested volunteers are advised to bring warm, waterproof clothes, boots or good shoes, hat and gardening gloves. Volunteers should contact Dr Kinross on (02) 6365 7651 or email ckinross@csu.edu.au to register. Participants will receive a free hot lunch following the tree planting.

Year 12 high schools students from across the NSW central west will attend the annual FACTS Day (Facts About Careers and Tertiary Study) at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Thursday 8 May. FACTS Day is organised by the Central West Careers Advisers Association to assist students explore their future career and employment opportunities. CSU Prospective Student Adviser, Ms Melinda Negus, said, "FACTS Day provides regional final year high school students the opportunity to speak with a range of education providers, and hear a motivational speaker. It is also an opportunity for students to experience and tour a Charles Sturt University campus. As with previous years, we expect about 1 000 Year 12 students from schools in Bathurst, Lithgow, Kandos, Oberon, Blayney, Cowra, Canowindra, Orange, Molong and Wellington will seek information from about 120 representatives of more than 60 career and employer organisations, including universities, private providers, TAFE, Centrelink, police, and other government agencies."

Taking the temperature of the global ocean is the topic of a free public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga, Orange and Wagga Wagga by Distinguished Professor Tony Haymet from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). From 2006 to 2012, the Australian scientist led the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD, a 110 year old geoscience research organisation focussing on the solid earth, oceans and atmosphere, and marine biology.  In his talks, Professor Haymet will track the factors that influenced the UCSD university and hospital campus community of 45 000 to change the way they generate energy. He will discuss how an understanding of how heat moves around the planet, developed through measuring ocean temperatures, can have impacts locally, nationally and globally. Professor Haymet is Director and Vice-Chancellor Emeritus at Scripps, and formerly Chief of Marine and Atmospheric Research at CSIRO in Australia. The lectures are part of CSU's 2014 Explorations Series which aims to encourage debate about the big issues facing society. The lectures are free and the public is welcome to attend. Details of Professor Haymet's lectures are:Friday 2 May from 6pm in the Wal Fife Lecture Theatres, building 14, near car park 4, Tooma Way, CSU in Wagga Wagga.Monday 5 May from 6.30pm in Room 104 in the CD Blake Auditorium, building 751, CSU in Albury-Wodonga.Tuesday 6 May from 6pm in Room 120, Lecture Theatre 3, building 1004, CSU in Orange.

Passionate about the opportunities for young people in agriculture, Charles Sturt University (CSU) student Ms Brodie Chester has been named the 2014 The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl. From Bega in southern NSW, Ms Chester is studying a Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management via distance education through the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences at CSU in Orange. Along with her partner Mr Kevin Game, Ms Chester operates a 250 head dairy herd.  The competition attracted more than 500 entrants from across NSW and Ms Chester was awarded the title over 15 other finalists at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney on Sunday 13 April.