Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC) have extended condolences to the Drayton family over the tragic death of Mr Trevor Drayton who was killed in an explosion at the Drayton Family Winery at Pokolbin in the NSW Hunter Valley on Thursday 17 January 2008. Professor Thomas Henick-Kling, Director, National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, says Mr Drayton was a highly respected leader of the Australian wine industry who will be sadly missed by all who knew and worked with him. His knowledge and experience was a wonderful resource for the national wine industry. Mr Drayton contributed to the research activities of the NWGIC and his input will be missed but not forgotten. CSU and the NWGIC also expresses condolences to the family of a second man, Mr Edgar Orgo, also killed in the tragic incident, and hopes for a full and speedy recovery of Mr William Rikard-Bell, a graduate of CSU in 2006 with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Wine Science), who was injured in the conflagration.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) and National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC) sensory scientist Anthony Saliba will present his latest research on consumer wine preferences when he attends the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research and Tamar Ridge Estates Vineyard Field Day. The field day, to be held on Wednesday 23 January, will highlight recent research in the viticulture industry, with a number of Tasmanian researchers also speaking to wine makers and industry representatives. Professor Saliba, who is based at the NWGIC on CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus, will talk about his research into consumer preferences for wine flavours, which will influence future trends and innovations in Australian wine production.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is mourning the death of one of its founding fathers, Mr Peter Hastie, who passed away on Tuesday 29 January at Eltham Lodge in Victoria at the age of 79. Mr Hastie was appointed on 16 October 1969 as Chairman of the Interim Council of the Riverina College of Advanced Education (RCAE), and then as Chairman of the Council until 30 June 1982. At the time, he was the longest serving Chairman of the governing body of an institute of higher education in New South Wales. Under his Chairmanship, RCAE grew from a small single-purpose institution, with fewer than 450 students, to the ninth largest College of Advanced Education in Australia. Mr Hastie was also a driving force behind the relocation of the former Wagga Teachers’ College to land adjoining the Wagga Agricultural College. The CSU Boorooma site stands as direct evidence of Mr Hastie’s vision, energy and insight. The Peter Hastie Ovals, located at the CSU Wagga Wagga Campus, were named in his honour on 21 October 1992. A funeral service for Mr Peter Hastie will be held at the Le Pine Chapel at Eltham, Victoria, on Monday 4 February commencing at 12 noon. Mr Hastie is survived by daughters Janet Twigden, Fiona Cropley and son Warwick Hastie.

More than 500 mourners have attended a memorial service at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Wagga Wagga Campus on Monday 4 February to honour former Chancellor, Dr David Asimus, AO, who died on Australia Day 2008. Moving tributes to Dr Asimus were delivered in eulogies from Ian Macintosh, Ian Sully and son-in-law James Sutherland. The congregation included the Hon. Kay Hull, federal Member for Riverina; The Hon. Daryl McGuire, NSW Member for Wagga; John Fairfax, Chairman, Fairfax Media, the Hon. Tim Fischer, Former Deputy Prime Minister; The Rev. Archbishop Francis Carroll, Catholic Bishop of Canberra; Mr Lawrie Willet AO, Chancellor CSU and Mr James Sutherland, CEO Cricket Australia. Dr Asimus was elected the foundation Chancellor of CSU in 1989 and served in this post until 2002. As Chancellor, he oversaw the integration of the Riverina-Murray Institute of Higher Education and Mitchell College of Advanced Education to form the new Charles Sturt University.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) researchers and staff will consider the latest results of a program that aims to strengthen the cultural knowledge and educational achievements of Indigenous youth in inland NSW. Tirkandi Inaburra is an Aboriginal community-controlled initiative that looks to reduce the risk of 12 to 15 year old Aboriginal boys, from south western NSW, which includes the Riverina, becoming involved in the criminal justice system. The program, which commenced in 2005, is being evaluated by a team that includes Ms Elizabeth Moore from CSU’s Institute for Land, Water and Society and is led by Dr Catherine Spooner from the University of NSW. Dr Spooner will outline the research project and the challenges in evaluating it at a meeting to be held on CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus on Wednesday 23 January.

New Charles Sturt University (CSU) students living off campus will receive a helping hand in the initial challenging weeks of university life. First trialled in 2007, a mentor scheme aims to help new students settle into University and their accommodation in the wider community. The Off campus Student Community Advisors (OSCA) Scheme will be trialled on CSU’s Bathurst and Wagga Wagga campuses during the first six weeks of the 2008 Autumn Session. “This scheme mirrors the long running and highly successful Residential Advisers (RA) scheme for students living on campus,” said OSCA supervisor Chris Roche. “It will help new students living in the wider community to find their way through the maze of early days at university,” he said. The scheme aims to improve retention rates in the critical first session of a student’s study. The Off campus Advisors are recruited from existing CSU students. In addition to being the first point of contact for support, the Advisers will offer the new students a six week program of social activities. Orientation 2008 at CSU began on Monday 11 February.  

With a background in business planning and policy development, Mr Stephen Butt has been appointed the new Executive Director of Facilities Management at Charles Sturt University (CSU). Mr Butt, who is an experienced engineer and project manager, comes to CSU from the Greater Southern Area Health Service based in Wagga Wagga. The former fitter and turner who trained in Wollongong, has post graduate qualifications in engineering management. At CSU he will oversee the largest set of building projects ever embarked on by the University, with academic facilities and services and student residences worth $240 million being constructed over five years from 2007 on its campuses in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Orange, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga. This includes nearly $45 million to be spent by 2009 on the expansion of the Albury-Wodonga Campus.

New students to Charles Sturt University (CSU) wanting to apply for scholarships for the coming year will need to get their applications in before Monday 18 February. The scholarships, which are offered through the Charles Sturt Foundation, are awarded to students who have demonstrated high levels of academic performance, leadership and motivation throughout their school careers. Some scholarships are also available for students undergoing economic hardship, are disadvantaged, are Indigenous or are undertaking distance education with CSU. In 2007, the Foundation provided 235 students with ongoing support for their University studies through the scholarship program.

The Charles Sturt University (CSU) Winery will showcase some of its finest vintages during NSW Wine Week starting in Sydney Sunday 9 March. Around 100 NSW wineries taking part in the event, which is aimed at showcasing NSW wine to Sydney consumers. Each NSW wine region will highlight a Regional Hero variety and CSU will showcase its recently released 2007 Sauvignon Blanc at the Orange region stand, and the 2003 Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon from the Hilltops region. CSU will also showcase its 2007 Chardonnay, which used grapes from the CSU vineyard at Orange and which was recently rated in Australia’s top 100 wines by wine commentator James Halliday.  CSU Winery Marketing Manager Richard Lawson says “This is the first event of its kind to be held in Sydney. It involves wineries from the state’s eight wine growing regions and will be an invaluable opportunity for consumers to learn, taste and see the fantastic wines being produced across NSW.”