Students and graduates of the Faculty of Science at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will shine when they attend an awards ceremony from 11am today Wednesday 21 March. Second year veterinary science student Ms Emma Lee from Cobargo on the far NSW South Coast will receive two awards for her academic achievements in 2011 from Dean of the Faculty of Science, Professor Nick Klomp. Second year veterinary science student Ms Siobhan Carson from Euroa in Victoria will receive a Dean’s Award as well as the Australian College of Veterinary Scientist Epidemiology Chapter Award for being the most outstanding student in animal disease management. Final year equine science student Ms Danielle Parker from Wagga Wagga will be a joint recipient of the Australian Society for Parasitology Prize for her achievements in the subject, parasitology. Ms Parker will celebrate her academic prize by attending the ceremony with her parents. The student has nearly completed her degree while undergoing chemotherapy for an auto-immune disease and dealing with spinal injuries sustained in an accident more than six years ago. A second ceremony will be held from 2pm on Wednesday 21 March for students and graduates from the same faculty enrolled in courses including oral health, pharmacy and nutrition.

Final year information technology student Mr Andrew Dotta from Griffith is one of 14 students and graduates of Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Faculty of Business who will be honoured for their academic achievements during a ceremony in Wagga Wagga on Tuesday 20 March. The students and graduates are due to attend the award ceremony from 10am to 10.45am in the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, building 406, McKeown Drive, CSU in Wagga Wagga. Host and Dean of the Faculty of Business Professor Lesley White will present her Dean’s Award to seven students and three graduates from the Faculty of Business. A further four students will receive prizes including the Max Lee Memorial Prize for Excellence in Completion of Second Year Information Technology for Mr Dotta. In his final year of a Bachelor of Information Technology at CSU in Wagga Wagga, Mr Dotta will be awarded the prize by the Head of the School of Computing and Mathematics, Associate Professor Irfan Altas.  

Charles Sturt University (CSU) staff and students affected by recent flooding are being reminded to look after their emotional wellbeing.  The University is providing counselling to students both in person and via the telephone. Student Counsellor, Ms Katie Murrell-Orgill said she is expecting a demand for services once people are able to return to flood affected homes.  “It’s normal to experience a range of emotions in these kinds of situations and it can be really helpful to seek support to help process what has occurred,” she said. “With much of southern and central west NSW and northern Victoria affected by floods, the service is available to all students including those studying by distance education.”  Students can make an appointment for counselling by calling Student Central on 1800 275 278 while after hours support is available by phoning Lifeline on 13 11 14. Staff and members of their immediate families can access CSU’s Employee Assistance Program, which offers free short-term professional counselling services. Information is also available on the CSU 2012 flood website here.

Two US academics will fly into Wagga Wagga for the week commencing Sunday 4 March as guests of Charles Sturt University (CSU) to explore international study opportunities in nuclear medicine and radiography.  Professor Robert George and Associate Professor Debbie Wilkinson are from the four year nuclear medicine degree program at the Wheeling Jesuit University (WJU) in West Virginia in the USA. In Wagga Wagga, they will meet staff and students from the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences at CSU. “Charles Sturt University’s strong international profile in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging attracted their attention. Both universities want to bring international experiences and opportunities to their students who are studying for careers as diagnostic healthcare professionals,” said Dr Geoff Currie, a Senior Lecturer with the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences. “During their visit, we will explore the possibility of student exchanges between Charles Sturt University and Wheeling Jesuit University by 2013. One of our courses, radiography, is not offered by WJU so we are interested in examining how it could be offered to their students through Charles Sturt University.”

Higher School Certificate (HSC) students in the Riverina are fine tuning their chemistry skills at Charles Sturt University (CSU) this week. The annual HSC Chemistry Days will see 200 students make use of the specialised equipment in the CSU laboratories over four days. Senior lecturer in chemistry at CSU’s School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences, Dr Paul Prenzler, said the event is an opportunity for students to undertake experiments they wouldn’t normally be able to complete at their own schools. “By having the students come to Charles Sturt University, we hope to inspire the next generation of chemists, by showing that chemistry is fun and has applications in everyday life,” Dr Penzler said. The program runs from Monday 13 to Thursday 16 February and is an initiative of the University’s Chemistry Group and the Eastern Riverina Science Teachers Association. Read more about the Chemistry Group at CSU here.

A team of 50 students will return to Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga a week early to help make Orientation Week (O Week) 2012 a success for new students from Monday 20 February. Approximately 1 000 new on-campus students are due to participate in a range of academic, social, cultural and sporting events during the week-long event at CSU in Wagga Wagga. Five Orientation coordinators and 45 Orientation leaders – all current students easily identifiable in purple t-shirts - will help ease them into university life. The week starts with the official Commencement Ceremony in the University’s Joyes Hall from 10am to 11am on Monday 20 February, with a welcome from the Head of Campus in Wagga Wagga, Mr Adrian Lindner. The annual market day, showcasing a range of information and services for new students, will follow near the Hall from 10am to 1pm. A highlight will be the staff and O Week leaders who have volunteered to cool-off in a dunking booth. Details of other academic and social events, including all-age activities, can be found in the program here. Funds raised from O Week 2012 across the University will be donated to the charity, Youth off The Streets. The theme of O Week is ‘Equipping you for success’.

The Equine Centre at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will be a hive of activity in the coming week with two separate high profile horse clinics at the facility’s indoor arena. The first clinic will be conducted from this Sunday 29 to Tuesday 31 January by Harry Whitney, a horseman from the USA. With a motto of ‘from the horse’s point of view’, Harry Whitney will visit Wagga Wagga as part of his Australian tour. On Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 February, the Double Dan Horsemanship Clinic and Evening Show will be held. Featuring Australian horsemen, Dan James and Dan Steers, Double Dan Horsemanship appeared on Channel 7’s Australia’s Got Talent in 2011.  The Evening Show will be open to the public from 7.30pm on Wednesday 1 February. Held in the Centre’s 3 000 square metre indoor arena, Double Dan Horsemanship entertain crowds with their liberty horses which celebrate the freedom and beauty of the animals and the relationships they have with these horses. The Harry Whitney Clinic and the Double Dan Horsemanship Clinic will attract a total of approximately 25 riders from throughout the Riverina with their horses stabled at the Equine Centre.The Centre is part of the University’s School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, providing facilities for equine science, veterinary science and animal science students as well as for the regional community.

Fresh into his new job, the new Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Sturt University (CSU) Professor Andrew Vann is clocking up the kilometres as he familiarises himself with the institution and its staff. During informal visits hosted by the Heads of Campus, Professor Vann will meet staff at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange and Wagga Wagga in coming weeks. Professor Vann joined the University this month from James Cook University in Townsville, where he was Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor. He will meet with CSU staff in Dubbo this Friday 27 January, Bathurst on Thursday 2 February, Wagga Wagga on Monday 6 February, and Orange on Friday 24 February. Read more about Professor Vann on CSU News here.

A small group of Charles Sturt University (CSU) students will soon gain an insight into the challenges and rewards of working with farmers in a developing country. The four students from the CSU School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences will spend a month in Pakistan as part of a project to help the country’s 8.5 million small dairy farmers improve milk production. The CSU students will visit farms, work with field officers and co-ordinate a workshop for Pakistani university students.  They will also take part in a ‘Farmer Festival’ combining farm extension services with cricket coaching, cooking and other activities for the local villagers. Bachelor of Veterinary Science student, Ms Caitlin Mack said the tour is a chance to go beyond the tourist routes. “This project offers a chance to develop my diagnostic and communication skills as we will have to negotiate many language and cultural barriers,” she said. “There is so much to learn in a country that is not as well-resourced as ours and I’m sure it will add a unique dimension to my studies.” The tour is supported by CSU Global, a University initiative to increase the number of students undertaking international experiences as part of their studies.