At first glance mistletoe might seem to be a destructive weed but Charles Sturt University (CSU) ecologist Associate Professor David Watson will explore the role the parasitic plant plays in promoting biodiversity at a seminar in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 2 May. The National Wine and Grape Industry Centre at CSU in Wagga Wagga will host the seminar titled, Parasitic plants as drivers of ecological communities: patterns, predictions, processes. In his presentation, Professor Watson will pull together a decade of research on mistletoe ecology in southern Australia. “The word parasite has nasty connotations to it but rather than being negative or even neutral, in natural systems parasitic plants may be disproportionately important to biodiversity,” he said. “This may provide land managers with a new tool to boost the value of remnant habitats for wildlife and maximise ecosystem functionality in modified landscapes.”

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher has been appointed to a new position to help her colleagues tackle the world of electronic research. Ms Penny Cooke is the University’s new eResearch Analyst for Intersect,  the peak body in NSW to coordinate expertise in electronic Research for NSW universities and public and private sector research agencies. In the increasingly globalised world of research, Intersect aims to increase the quality, efficiency and visibility of NSW based research. CSU joined Intersect in early 2012. Director of Research at CSU, Associate Professor Andrea Bishop said, "Charles Sturt University is keen to deepen its relationship with Intersect, particularly to pursue larger collaborative projects that address the needs of rural and regional researchers. As our eResearch Analyst, Penny is now the primary link between Charles Sturt University and Intersect.” Ms Cooke’s role includes advice and support for CSU researchers using eResearch; access to Intersect services; and access to and advocacy in the various national eResearch bodies.

Grounds staff at Charles Sturt University (CSU) eagerly await the new-look business awards in Wagga Wagga later this month. CSU has been named as one of the finalists in the 2012 Crow Awards, hosted by the Wagga Business Chamber, on Friday 18 May. The staff have been nominated for a new category of Disability Employer of the Year. In the University’s Division of Facilities Management, the grounds and janitor staff, are responsible for the upkeep of approximately 200 buildings as well as facilities, such as sports ovals, gardens and lawns at CSU in Wagga Wagga. Campus Services Manager at CSU in Wagga Wagga Mr Terry O’Meara said, “We have actively sought out staff with disabilities for employment within our group. Morale and work performance appears to be higher as the group has genuinely put time into training the new staff and ensuring we have a cohesive team.”

Australian scholar, poet, translator and artist Dr Christopher (Kit) Kelen is the second writer-in-residence at the Booranga Writers’ Centre at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga. Apart from poetry, Dr Kelen publishes in a range of theoretical areas including writing pedagogy, ethics, rhetoric, cultural and literary studies. For the last 11 years, he has taught Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Macau in southern China. Dr Kelen will give a poetry reading, writers’ workshop and talk about his exhibition of paintings, as to the ladders of whichway - first rungs, which is on display at the H R Gallop Gallery at CSU in Wagga Wagga.

A celebration of the 2012 grape harvest will be held at the CSU Winery in Wagga Wagga over a Mediterranean-inspired barbecue from 6.30pm on Saturday 12 May. Hosted by CSU Winemaker Mr Andrew Drumm, guests will be introduced to a range of the University’s wines including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, sparkling and Merlot. The wines will be matched to Mediterranean food prepared by Mr Toby Perry and his team from CSU’s Food and Beverage Services. Mr Drumm said, “The 2012 harvest was one of the more unusual. Picking began at the end of February and finished just before Anzac Day. The cool growing season in spring and summer developed good flavours on vineyards at Orange and Wagga Wagga. The rain in early March punctuated the season but a long warm autumn has finished things off quite well”. The Harvest Celebration marks the end of the seasonal cycle and the hard work and late nights.

A 2 000 kilometre journey around the southern tip of New Zealand, at a time when the region was being rocked by earthquake aftershocks, has inspired Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer and photographic artist Mr Christopher Orchard. His new exhibition 15 Days is on display at the Links Gallery at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery and will be launched on Saturday 12 May. An associate lecturer with the School of Communication and Creative Industries at CSU in Wagga Wagga , Mr Orchard said using digital technologies restricted to darkroom techniques, the images in the exhibition reference the traditions of landscape photography. “The clashing of continental plates, shifting ocean currents, cold polar winds, volcanic eruptions and innumerable other physical forces reshape the soul of the land with each passing second,” he said. “The ultimate accolade for the fine-art photographer is to be able to see work displayed for public viewing, and for the general public to be able to engage with the creative process.”

A free cocktail party will be the backdrop for a gathering of recent and not-so-recent graduates and staff of Charles Sturt University (CSU) on Wednesday 23 May. Hosted by CSU Alumni, the evening will feature CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann, who joined the University at the start of this year. A second guest speaker will be Dr Krissy Wilson, a lecturer and researcher from the School of Psychology at CSU. A renowned sceptic, former actress and airline cabin crew member, Dr Wilson researches why people believe in extraordinary phenomena, or Anomalistic Psychology.  Read more on CSU News about Dr Wilson's new research group here. All CSU alumni are invited to attend the cocktail evening from 6pm to 8pm, Wednesday 23 May at the Country Comfort Motel on the corner of Tarcutta and Morgan Streets, Wagga Wagga.

Students from the ACT, NSW and Victoria will be recognised during the annual scholarship ceremony at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 16 May. Eighty scholarships, valued at almost $220 000 dollars and donated by a variety of individuals and organisations, will be presented to students during a ceremony from 4pm to approximately 5.15pm in Joyes Hall, Pine Gully Road, CSU in Wagga Wagga. The University’s Deputy Chancellor, Ms Kathryn Pitkin, will attend the annual event along with the mayors of Junee, Temora and Tumut local councils as well as Wagga Wagga’s deputy mayor. The scholarships are distributed through the Charles Sturt University Foundation Trust. Read more about CSU scholarships here.

Cloudstreet - the acclaimed Australian play based on Tim Winton’s novel of the same name – will be presented by the University Theatre Ensemble (UTE) in Wagga Wagga from Thursday 31 May. Adapted for the stage by Nick Enright and Justin Monjo and directed by Kim Hardwick from the School of Communication and Creative Industries at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga, Cloudstreet follows the relationship between the Lambs and Pickles families, who live in the same house in post-war Perth. The UTE production involves third year Bachelor of Arts (Acting for Screen and Stage) and Bachelor of Arts (Design for Theatre and Television) students . The play runs until Saturday 9 June at the Civic Theatre, Burns Way in Wagga Wagga. Tickets are available on 02 6926 9688 or here.