Students of Australia’s largest inland university Charles Sturt University (CSU) have been awarded seven of the nine Pharmacy Guild of Australia 2007 scholarships as part of the Guild’s Rural Pharmacy Scholarship Scheme. Faculty of Science Dean Professor Mark Burton was “thrilled” with the announcement. “It’s a testament to our health-based courses at CSU that our students receive such positive recognition. The scholarships encourage recipients to seek work in rural and remote areas which ties in with CSU’s commitment to providing trained professionals who will enhance rural communities,” said Professor Burton. To be eligible, Pharmacy students must be from a regional, rural or remote area. The students then make a presentation to the scholarship committee. Each scholarship is worth $40 000 per student over four years.

In what’s been described as a "U-turn of dramatic proportions", the same study that in 2002 warned menopausal women to abandon Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has now released findings that show HRT risks are not as bad as first thought. The Women's Health Initiative Study (WHIS), a major 15-year research program to address the most common causes of death, disability and poor quality of life in postmenopausal women, last week stated any additional risks may apply only to older women. Charles Sturt University (CSU) biomedical researcher Dr Christopher Scott says he is not surprised by the new findings. “The initial findings were quite scary, but since then they have done a lot more thorough number-crunching. HRT is considered to be beneficial to deal with the symptoms of menopause, but a woman with a strong family history of breast cancer and cardiovascular should not take HRT long term. You have to look at the particular person and what they want to use it for and how long they want to use it.”

An academic parade through the heart of Wagga Wagga to mark the start of three days of graduation ceremonies at Charles Sturt University will be held on Tuesday 17 April 2007. The Town and Gown procession along Bayliss Street is symbolic of the close relationship that has developed between the University and the Wagga Wagga City Council over many years, and will include University Councillors, Wagga Wagga City Councillors, academic staff, general staff, and students who will graduate over the following days. Additionally, staff from the Riverina Institute of TAFE, the Rural Clinical School and Wagga Wagga City Council have been invited to attend. A band will lead the procession and a formal reception will be held after the procession at the Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre in Bayliss Street.

The Australian wine industry will benefit from Charles Sturt University (CSU) research to prevent revenue loss for Shiraz growers. A research team, led by senior lecturer in viticulture at the School of Wine and Food Sciences Dr Dennis Greer, is using business intelligence software to investigate water loss from Shiraz grapes. The project has received about $2 million funding from the Australian Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation. Shiraz grapes lose up to 20 per cent of their water content at the end of the growing season which means growers, who are paid on weight, lose up to 20 per cent of their potential revenue. Data including grape bunch weights, carbon dioxide and water vapour emissions is collected every five minutes over several days. According to Dr Greer, "This is relatively new science that has not been done on Shiraz grapes before".

Young people’s access to educational opportunities can be adversely affected by drought, according to new research that will be presented at a national conference soon. Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Professor Margaret Alston and Dr Jenny Kent will present the final report on their research at the conference which will be hosted by the Federal Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), the Foundation for Regional / Rural Renewal (FRRR) and CSU. Former Deputy Prime Minister and conference convenor Ian Sinclair will join with members of the Myer family, who are the major donors to the FRRR, at the official welcome starting at 2pm on Tuesday 17 April at the Nowik Auditorium, CSU Albury City site, Guinea St, Albury.

Prospective students are investigating the hundreds of course options at Charles Sturt University (CSU) as part of the 2007 mid-year intake. Tuesday 1 May is the mid-year deadline for enrolling to study nursing fulltime on the University’s Albury-Wodonga Campus or performing and visual arts on its Wagga Wagga Campus. More than 200 courses are available at undergraduate and post-graduate levels through distance education, including courses in business, theology, communication, information technology, applied science, health science, paramedic and rural studies. CSU nursing student Jessica Roennfeldt, from CSU’s Albury-Wodonga Campus, said: “I’m glad I applied for the 2006 mid-year intake because it’s been a great way to start my professional training. There was no need to wait another six months.”

Around thirty hand-picked works of art from the Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) extensive art collection will be on public exhibition at the CSU Wagga Wagga campus during graduation week. The exhibition Recent Acquisitions in Context showcases unique and original artworks by Rupert Bunny, Margaret Preston, James Gleeson, Paul Nolte, Charles Blackman Rah Fizelle, Frank Hinder and features art which has been collected over the last three years, which has not been on public display before. CSU Art Curator Thomas Middlemost says, “The thought provoking nationally important exhibition presents a snapshot of the CSU art collection from an historical perspective and follows its evolution.” The exhibition will be opened by artist and former lecturer for the Riverina College of Advanced Education Mr. Euan Heng at the Joyes Hall Foyer Gallery.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) student is bringing the sound of the Scottish highlands to inland Australia. Studying at the CSU Wagga Wagga campus, James Martel is an international-level bagpipe player who has led the Sydney Anzac Day March on several occasions and was a finalist at the NSW solos competition. In 2003, James was appointed the Piping Cadet Under-Officer of Scot’s College band and performed solo at the State Theatre in Sydney for the Rugby World Cup Festival. In 2005 he was appointed as a bagpiping tutor at the Queen Victoria School in Dunblane, Scotland and piped at all Scottish rugby internationals. The highlight was his performance for Queen Elizabeth II during the official opening of the Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters in Edinburgh. James hopes to graduate with a CSU degree in Medical Imaging.

Dennis Robert Taaffe was awarded Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) first Doctorate of Science at CSU’s Wagga Wagga 2006 graduations on Friday 20 April. Dr Taaffe’s research identified the factors associated with a decline in the neuromuscular system, and ways to prevent frailty and promote independence through improving an individual’s physical reserve. According to Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Ross Chambers, Dr Taaffe’s research has the potential to improve health outcomes and demonstrates CSU’s commitment to conduct strategic and applied research of an international standard. Dr Taaffe was one of almost three hundred graduands awarded degrees and certificates from the CSU Faculty of Education.