Charles Sturt University (CSU) is making up to $150 000 available for staff and student projects to help the University reduce its environmental footprint. Sustainability Grants are awarded by CSU Green annually as part of  the University’s commitment to reduce energy and water use, increase biodiversity, cut solid waste, and support research into sustainability. An extra $50 000 is being made available this year for one large project to help the University reach its sustainability goals. Co-ordinator of Partnerships with CSU Green, Ms Nicola Smith, said the program aims to educate and promote cultural change. “Applications for the grants have increased each year with more exciting and engaging projects,” she said. “It has increased the knowledge of environmental and social sustainability issues as well as providing an outlet for staff and students to develop social and professional networks.” Past projects include a student and community-run produce garden, a sustainable film festival and a project to increase good waste management practises within student residences. Applications are open until 5pm on Friday 28 June.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is this week home to the annual Riverina Summer School for Strings. In its twenty-fourth year, the school runs until Saturday 15 January and caters for players of violin, viola, cello, double bass and guitar of all ages and levels of experience.  Students come from across the Riverina as well as Canberra, Sydney, Darwin and even Finland. “The school provides a great atmosphere and we have many families who make this their annual holiday,” explains President of Riverina Summer School for Strings Mr Jeff Donovan. The camp’s Music Director Mr Carl Pini has invited some of the best string players in Australia to instruct and inspire the students in orchestral and ensemble classes. The tutors present world-class chamber music and tango performances in the Sounds of Summer Concert Series which takes place most evenings during the week of the school at Joyes Hall on the CSU campus. The school culminates in the Grand Finale concert at 2pm on Saturday 15 January at the Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre where all school participants take part. “The students have come well prepared and the quality of performance is very good this year,” said Mr Donovan.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) veterinary science student has won the $12 000 Greenham Dairy Scholarship for 2013. Ms Katherine Lang, from the Victorian town of Tatura, is in her fifth year of a Bachelor of Veterinary Biology/Bachelor of Veterinary Science at the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga. The Greenham Dairy Scholarship was established by HW Greenham and Sons Pty Ltd in 2000 to ‘encourage young people to make a commitment to the improvement of the dairy industry through education’. CSU students won the Greenham Dairy Scholarship in 2009, 2010 and 2012. Ms Lang said, “I have a strong interest in the future of the dairy industry in Australia. I grew up on a dairy farm in regional Victoria and I plan to work as a veterinary scientist in the dairy industry.” Ms Lang will use the scholarship to fund a four-week work placement from late October at the University of California (UC) Davis in the USA. She will be based in UC’s Dairy Teaching and Research Facility which includes a milking herd of 100 cows.

The secret to filming the perfect shot as an athlete lunges for the finish line will be explored when an internationally renowned camera operator visits Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 22 May and Thursday 23 May. Mr Glen Steer - a Steadicam operator - has worked on nine consecutive Olympic Games, as well as live programs such as The Voice, Celebrity Splash and NRL broadcasts.  During two days of workshops he will teach Bachelor of Arts (Television Production)  students the craft of using this highly specialised camera equipment. “This is an outstanding opportunity for students to network and learn directly from Australia’s most acclaimed operator. It will help boost their career prospects as they prepare to enter the industry,” said Associate Head of the School of Communication and Creative Industries at CSU in Wagga Wagga, Mr Patrick Sproule. “The fact that Mr Steer has taken time out of his busy schedule to provide this workshop is a testament to the industry recognition of our program and the capabilities of our graduates.” CSU has recently purchased a full Steadicam system which students have used to film public events such as Twilight by the Lagoon and the Food and Wine Festival in Wagga Wagga.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic Mr Mark Lee will spend more than a year in the USA as visiting scholar at the California State University. Mr Lee is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at CSU in Wagga Wagga. He is also a PhD student with CSU's Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education (RIPPLE ). During the 16-month visit, Mr Lee will be based in the California State University Office of the Chancellor in Long Beach, California within MERLOT. Established in 1997, MERLOT is a California State University program that provides a free online community and repository of open educational resources (OER), allowing higher educators from around the world to share their learning materials and pedagogy. Mr Lee is currently Editor-in-Chief of MERLOT’s peer-reviewed journal, the Journal of Online Learning and Teaching (JOLT). During his visit, he plans to undertake intensive development of JOLT, and in addition will carry out research in the use of mobile technologies and 3D virtual worlds for learning and teaching, and open educational resources. "I hope that one of the outcomes of my visit will be lasting relationships with researchers and staff across the 23 campuses of the California State University system," Mr Lee said. He left Australia for the USA on Friday 3 May and officially commences his visiting scholarship on Saturday 1 June.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) students with a passion for sustainable living are being invited to apply for a place in the national Green Steps program. Green Steps was started by Monash University in 2000 and CSU was the first regional university to host the free program. It aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and confidence to tackle sustainability issues in the workplace. Green Steps consists of six days of training on two weekends in September at CSU in Wagga Wagga, and a 15 day internship. Applications are open for the 2013 Green Steps program at CSU and close on Tuesday 13 August. CSU Green Partnerships Coordinator Ms Nicola Smith said, “The Green Steps program enables students to develop their knowledge of environmental sustainability and sustainable workplace practices to use in their future career. It also helps develop communication and behaviour change skills.”  Read about a former Green Steps trainee and intern on CSU News here:

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Bachelor of Arts (Visual and Performing Arts) (Honours) student, Mr Philip Henderson, has won an international animation competition. The Animate Chapman competition was part of the global promotion for the film A Liars Autobiography, a 3D animated film about the life of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman. “The competition had a web page that contained about a dozen sound bytes of Chapman's career, and it was our job to create visuals to accompany them,” said Mr Henderson. “I had always been a fan of Python's work, and the chance to contribute something to the project was like my 'Holy Grail', if you’ll pardon the pun.” Mr Henderson’s animation skills will also be on show at the Australian International Animation Festival in Wagga Wagga this weekend with his short film Reds Under the Beds selected as part of the Australian showcase. Read more about the Festival on CSU News here.

Chickpeas are being put to the taste test at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga as part of research that aims to develop the export market and diversify the Australian diet. PhD student, Ms Soumi Paul Mukhopadhyay, from CSU’s School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences is examining consumer preferences for cooked chickpeas in Australia and India, which is the world’s largest consumer of chickpeas and a key market for Australian exporters. “The study involves sensory analysis of cooked chickpeas,” she said. “Understanding how chickpeas are used and identifying what sensory attributes influence consumers’ preferences could help pulse breeders select for those traits and ultimately lead to better market positioning of Australian product in India.”  Ms Paul Mukhopadhyay is looking for participants to take part in the study beginning on Tuesday 7 May. You can contact the CSU PhD student by email smukhopadhyay@csu.edu.au.

Participants are being sought for a new study at Charles Sturt University (CSU) into the experiences of overseas qualified nurses and midwives. Lecturer with the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health at CSU in Wagga Wagga, Ms Sophia Dywili, is seeking the assistance of those health professionals whose first nursing qualification was obtained from a country in sub-Saharan Africa, and who then moved to work in rural and regional NSW and Victoria. Ms Dywili is exploring the migration experiences of nurses and midwives moving from sub-Saharan African to Australia for her PhD. Research participants would be involved in a confidential interview and/or focus group discussion. Ms Dywili moved from Zimbabwe to work as a Registered Nurse at Bankstown Hospital in 2004. She also worked as a Clinical Nurse Educator at Liverpool Hospital before taking up a lecturing position at CSU in 2009. For more information, contact Ms Dywili by email (sdywili@csu.edu.au ) or telephone 02 6933 2452.