Veterinary Science students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) Wagga Wagga Campus now have 16 newly-donated Angus cows on which to develop their clinical and diagnostic skills. The cows were donated to the CSU veterinary program by a group of Angus breeders led by Lucinda and Bryan Corrigan, proprietors of Rennylea Angus stud at Bowna, near Holbrook. They are the first delivery of a total of 23 cows to be donated to CSU’s new Veterinary Science program by regional Angus cattle breeders. The pure Angus cows join an existing herd of 14 Poll Hereford cows donated by a number of breeders, coordinated by Robert and Moira O’Reilly, Redgate Poll Hereford stud, Rutherglen, Victoria. The cattle will be used by CSU’s 97 first and second-year Bachelor of Veterinary Science students as part of their practical experience and training in handling large animals. Professor Kym Abbott, CSU Director of Veterinary Science, said it was hoped to eventually build up the herd to more than 250 breeding cows which will provide for the needs of all the Veterinary students and those in the School studying Animal Science and Animal Production.

A national award from the Australian library sector will be presented to recent Charles Sturt University graduate Tania Barry for her commitment to her profession as a librarian in Victoria. Ms Barry, who graduated from the Bachelor of Arts (Library and Information Science) in April 2006, has been named the recipient of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Metcalfe Award for 2006.The Award commemorates John Metcalfe, a former NSW State Librarian, for his contribution to librarianship and library education. Ms Barry is the Children's and Youth Services Librarian for the Wyndham Library Service, Werribee south-west of Melbourne. “Tania has shown a great commitment to the profession, and through her work has created a busy program of events and initiatives that link the library to the community,” said senior lecturer Roy Sanders. “I am pleased to receive the Metcalfe Award because it is a peer-nominated, national award and I feel it provides professional recognition of the programs I initiated to improve literacy levels within the community,” said Ms Barry. The ALIA is the professional organisation for the Australian library and information services sector. Charles Sturt University last year celebrated its 30th anniversary as a lead educator for librarians across Australia and internationally.

The Threat of Nuclear Terrorism: Facts and Fiction is the focus of a public lecture to be given in Wagga Wagga this Wednesday night by senior lecturer in Nuclear Medicine at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Mr Geoff Currie. Despite heightened awareness of international terrorism post September 11, 2001 most people are still not well informed about the dangers and possibility of nuclear terrorism, according to Geoff Currie. “This lecture will address a number of questions including the psychosocial impact of nuclear terrorism; the vulnerability of nuclear reactors to sabotage and theft of nuclear material by terrorists; the threat of ‘dirty bombs’ and what could be potential targets in the Riverina,” Geoff Currie said. Currently a senior lecturer in Nuclear Medicine at CSU, Geoff Currie has 20 years clinical experience in both therapeutic and diagnostic Nuclear Medicine and is widely published internationally. Major Garth Wheat, a highly decorated soldier who served in the Royal Australian Army for 30 years, will also speak at the lecture which begins at 6pm on Wednesday, 10 May in the Wagga Wagga Civic Centre meeting room.

The newly appointed Dean of Charles Sturt University’s (CSU’s) Faculty of Education, Professor Toni Downes will speak at an Education Week forum in Wagga Wagga next week on the topical issue of how students use computers and the changing nature of learning. Professor Downes will be the inaugural speaker at the first CSU Edversations public forum on Thursday 18 May in the meeting room at Wagga Wagga City Council starting at  6pm. Professor Downes, who recently joined CSU as Professor of Education, has more than 25 years’ experience working with teachers to improve education through the creative use of new information and communication technologies (ICTs). She will speak on the topic Student Internet use at home and school in the first of a new series of professional forums on education, especially aimed at teachers in the Wagga region. “CSU is a leader in teacher education and we hope the Edversations series will strengthen the education community and provide a place for Faculty of Education staff to meet local teachers and build links with others interested in education,” said Dr Andrew Wallace, Senior Lecturer in Education at CSU. One of Professor Downes’ current research projects is looking at the gender gap in IT and communication technology subjects and why girls are failing to fully participate in IT, both in schools and in their career choices.

The first Canadian students from Charles Sturt University (CSU), Ontario to do their practicum teaching experience in Australia have started work at North Wagga Public School.  The three Canadians are among the first group of Bachelor of Educational Studies (Primary Teaching) students at CSU, Ontario which began in August 2005 with 114 students. The one-year postgraduate teacher education program which operates between CSU in Australia and school boards in Ontario, prepares candidates to teach in Ontario elementary or primary schools. Juanita Germaine, 34, of Barrie, Ontario; Deb Gross, 24, of Hamilton, Ontario and Kristin Larion, 23, from Paris, Ontario will spend three weeks teaching kindergarten and year 2/3 students at North Wagga Public School. All three said the opportunity of practice teaching in Australia as well as CSU’s reputation in teacher education were factors which attracted them to the CSU program. Four other CSU Ontario students are doing their practicum teaching in Dubbo at the same time.  Professor Tom Lowrie, head of CSU’s School of Education, said the Australian practicum experience was an exciting component of CSU’s Ontario program which he hoped would be expanded. Read more here.

A $100 000 scholarship will enable Charles Sturt University (CSU) PhD student Jodie Ivers to conduct research into the way people manage their electricity usage . Ms Ivers is the recipient of Country Energy’s inaugural Energy Efficiency Research Scholarship. The industry scholarship will allow the postgraduate student to research renewable energy or an area known as demand management. “Demand management could be changed using new technology such as  a “smart meter” in people’s homes. The meter could tell the resident how much electricity is being used at any time and how much it is costing,” explained Ms Ivers. At peak times, an alarm would alert a resident to warn them the cost will escalate. And why aren’t more people taking up the option of green electricity? “This is what I have to find out. Basically what I’ll be doing is finding out what consumers think about renewable energy, what they know about it, what their attitudes towards green electricity are and trying to find ways to increase adoption and awareness,” said the CSU student. Originally from the central west town of Oberon, Ms Ivers now lives in Bathurst. “I like the socially responsible aspect of research, so I would love to see my work make a difference in what’s happening in regional areas, and reduce the amount of fossil fuels that we are using,” added Jodie Ivers.

Described as an ardent and vocal supporter of the pharmacy program at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Ian Dean has been awarded a Companion of the University. Mr Dean has worked in the pharmaceutical industry in Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, UK and the USA. From 1990 to 2003, Ian Dean was Registrar and Chief Executive of the Pharmacy Board of NSW. In presenting the Companion of the University, Dean of the CSU Faculty of Health Studies Professor Mark Burton said “Ian Dean has advocated on behalf of staff, students and the University as a whole in various pharmacy and industry forums and most notably within the NSW Government”. “His understanding of the role that CSU plays in the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacists contributed significantly to the establishment of the first Professor of Rural Pharmacy in Australia at CSU in 2005,” Professor Burton added

The Riverina firm A&G Engineering has generously renewed its support for Charles Sturt University (CSU) wine science program with an annual scholarship for a student. The 2006 A&G Engineering Scholarship valued at $15 000 has been awarded to final-year wine science student Tanya Worontschak. “I feel extremely privileged to receive this scholarship as this financial assistance will not only be used to fund my trips to study in Wagga Wagga but also help me purchase a computer and fulfil my aim to study and travel overseas,” said the CSU student. “I cannot thank A&G Engineering enough for their generosity,” she added. Ms Worontschak is studying at CSU by distance education while working as assistant winemaker/quality controller at Primo Estate Winery in Adelaide. Tanya Worontschak is following a family tradition after her uncle and London-based wine-maker and wine judge John Worontschak won the same award, formerly known as the Ron Potter Scholarship, two decades ago.  

Every time actress Alexandra Davies features in another dramatic scene as Cate McMasters, Registered Nurse and Ambulance Paramedic at All Saints General Hospital, the phones run hot at Charles Sturt University (CSU). That’s because CSU is one of the few universities in Australia to offer the double degree Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Clinical Practice (Paramedic). Veronica Madigan, senior lecturer and PHC (pre-hospital care) course coordinator, says CSU started pre-hospital care education in Australia and was the first to offer the double degree. This year it was the most popular double degree to enrol at CSU. “The television drama All Saints has a couple of nurses who are also fully trained paramedics.You see them in their two uniforms at different times in the show so one day they might be a triage sister and in the next scene they might be out on the road as a paramedic,”  Veronica Madigan explained. In Menindee (population 980, 110 kilometres south-east of Broken Hill) there are no doctors but there are Advanced Care Nurses who are also paramedics. “At night they instantly revert to the ambulance service. When there’s a call out they are the ones who jump in the ambulance and retrieve the patients and decide whether or not they need to be flown out or taken on-road to Broken Hill. The diversity is amazing and one of the reasons our students are keen about this course.”