Three days of hands-on science will be presented in a workshop at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga with Year  10 students from the NSW Riverina and Central West regions. The Science Experience at CSU workshops will be introduced at 9am on Wednesday 12 January by science media personality and Dean of CSU Faculty of Science, Professor Nick Klomp. The workshops will cover topics as varied as everyday chemistry, oral health, forensic science, bones and the science behind putting food on the table. The event finishes on Friday 14 January with a panel discussion between the participants and recent CSU graduates, who will explain where their science education has taken them. The program will be held at various venues on the University’s Wagga Wagga campus.

Australian farmers and those involved in the production of food and natural fibres need strong support as they confront the challenges resulting from recent heavy rain and flooding, according to Associate Professor John Kent, Head of Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Agricultural and Wine Science. Professor Kent believes that a coordinated movement of volunteers to assist farmers in the rebuilding process is needed as farmers are facing the loss of their crops, equipment and infrastructure like fences, irrigation channels, and, in many cases, the soil itself. “It will take a long time to recover from these floods, and on top of 10 years of drought this is a cruel blow,” says Professor Kent. “Australia’s farmers are some of the most important people in our society and we need to look after them and support them as they go through difficult times. They daily deal with the variations in climate and weather. They have business decisions and large financial investments to make because production of food is a long-term process involving much planning and up-front investment, and when a disaster like this occurs it impacts severely on these long-term plans.” In addition, there is a need for long-term strategies. “We have to learn how to manage climate change disruptions and how to adapt to a warmer and more variable climate. Australia and the world needs people to carry out research in order to find ways to adapt farming practices, develop new crop and pasture varieties and farming systems, and then pass on this knowledge to current and future farmers,” Professor Kent said.

Work has commenced on the National Life Sciences Hub (NaLSH) building project at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga with the establishment of the site, fencing, works on the realignment of Nathan Cobb Drive, and other preliminary site works. The NaLSH will help the integration of fundamental research with applied research and teaching, to build links between researchers and stakeholders (students, industry, producers) and identify problems and the development of improvements with immediate application to agricultural practice. It will create links to undergraduate and graduate training, and improve interactions across local/national/international partners in research in food security and biosecurity. An historical record of the site will be recorded by the capturing of time-lapse images of the site for the duration of the project. This is required for the information of funding and other bodies, as well as archival purposes. Please note that persons near the site may be inadvertently captured in these images.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic says the recent wide-spread floods in Australia demonstrate the importance of home owners understanding whether their home and contents insurance covers damage caused by flooding. Senior lecturer in law at the CSU School of Accounting, Dr Bede Harris, says, “In many parts of Australia, insurers do not offer flood insurance because the risk is too great, and even where flood insurance is offered, the premiums tend to be high. The type of risks a policy-owner is covered for depends entirely on the wording of their policy, and this can differ from insurer to insurer.” Dr Harris also emphasizes that it is important to note that insurance policies distinguish between damage caused by rising waters (flood) and falling waters (for example, rain leaking through a roof). “In those cases, coverage will depend on what the immediate cause of the damage was,” Dr Harris said.

Up to 200 adults and 100 youths are expected to converge on Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Sunday 30 January to compete in the second Come and Try Triathlon. The event is run by the Wagga Triants Triathlon Club and aims to introduce newcomers to the sport, but also provides serious competitors with a challenging event. Event organiser, Mr Stephen Trevaskis received very positive feedback from previous race competitors. He believes that the CSU campus provides a safe option for the younger competitors, and that the popularity of the event is likely due to setting slightly shorter distances which make it more accessible for beginners. Mr Trevaskis expressed appreciation for the support from CSU and the efforts of Manager of Campus Services, Mr Terry O’Meara, and his team, for preparations for this year’s event.

Three universities in New South Wales will bring an information road show about going to university to regional schools to give senior high school students a better understanding of tertiary education. The University Road Show comprises Charles Sturt University (CSU), Southern Cross University and the University of New England. Students will get the chance to discover more about university life and potential career paths when the University Road Show visits schools in the New England, North Coast, Hunter, Central West and Blue Mountains regions during March. Now in its tenth year, the University Road Show will visit more schools than ever before, sharing information with around 5 000 students at 120 schools. CSU Prospective Student Adviser Ms Katy Fardell said, “By pooling resources, Charles Sturt University, Southern Cross University and the University of New England are able to provide excellent advice to students in one visit, maximising the study options presented to students while minimising the amount of time students need to be away from the classroom.”

New research led by Charles Sturt University (CSU) aims to learn more about alcohol and drug use by workers in Australia’s agricultural and fishing industries. Research leader Dr Julaine Allan, from CSU’s Centre for Inland Health and a Senior Research Fellow at the Lyndon Community, an alcohol and other drugs service in western NSW, said, “The research aims to gauge the extent of substance use, assess the safety implications, and understand and help ease the stresses that may lead workers to take alcohol and drugs.   We want to speak to people who work in the agricultural and fishing industries throughout regional Australia, confidentially and without prejudice. We would also like to interview their family members, and community leaders in the relevant regional areas.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will next week host a delegation from the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (LPDR) as part of a large research project aimed at finding ways to alleviate poverty of farming families in rain-fed areas in the South East Asian nation. The $5.1 million project, ‘Developing improved farming and marketing systems in rain fed regions of southern Lao PDR’, involves researchers from institutions in Laos and Australia and is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and led by Strategic Research Professor at CSU, Professor Len Wade. He will accompany the delegation, headed by the Director General of the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) in Lao, Dr Bounthong Bouahom. On Monday 21 February, the delegation will visit research facilities at CSU in Wagga Wagga, including the new $2.4 million underground field research laboratory known as a Rhizolysimeter. The delegation, which will also be accompanied by Research Program Manager at ACIAR, Dr John Dixon, will visit rice farms and fisheries while in the Riverina. Field research is underway in several locations in provinces of southern Laos, and Professor Wade will travel to Lao PDR on Friday 25 February for the annual review of the project as well as visit field sites in the country.

Students get their first real taste of their new life at university during Orientation 2011 at Charles Sturt University (CSU) next week. With the theme ‘Superher-O Week’, Live Work Play, a range of academic and social activities for new students start on Monday 21 February at CSU campuses, including Wagga Wagga. Around 1 100 new students have accepted a place in an undergraduate on campus course at CSU in Wagga Wagga. A large range of courses are offered at CSU in Wagga Wagga including accounting, veterinary science, oral health, pharmacy, teaching, television production, social work and nursing. Head of Campus at CSU in Wagga Wagga, Mr Adrian Lindner, will conduct an Official Welcome Ceremony for the new students and their families and friends from 10am to 11.30am on Monday 21 February. Assisting the new students throughout the week will be around 50 Orientation student leaders dressed in blue shirts.