International Women’s Day 2018 offers an opportunity to reflect on the vital contributions of women to the start-up scene in the Riverina region, recognising that still more can be done to encourage more women and girls into technological and entrepreneurial activities.With this in mind, the AgriTech Incubator at Charles Sturt University (CSU) is delivering its second Incubator Program with six out of the eight budding entrepreneurs being women. Ms Louise Freckelton from Highfield Farm and Woodland, a small farm combining conservation with ethical food production, is participating in the Incubator Program.  She is looking to gourmet mushroom production to boost their farm income and add a unique food to the region.Ms Freckelton will be pitching her business idea to the audience along with the other program participants on Monday 26 March at the AgriTech Incubator at CSU in Wagga Wagga.The AgriTech Incubator team will also host their second coding event on Thursday 17 May 2018 to encourage Year 8 girls from the region into technology careers. During the event, they will create a rainbow predictor using the program Python and tiny computer Raspberry Pi.Interested Riverina high schools wanting their Year 8 female students to attend this event should contact project officer Ms Siobhain Howard on email sihoward@csu.edu.au for further information and bookings.The AgriTech Incubator is funded by the NSW Department of Industry with significant additional funding from CSU. The Incubator is also available for use as a co-working, meeting and event space.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the Australian Computer Society (ACS) Foundation are again joining forces to host the Big Day In from 9am to 2.30pm on Wednesday 7 March in Wagga Wagga.The Big Day In at CSU in Wagga Wagga is an information technology (IT) careers fair aimed at school students in Years 9 to 12, as well as university students interested in IT careers.More than 500 students and teachers will be officially welcomed to the Big Day In at 9am by Associate Head of the CSU School of Computing and Mathematics Mr Jason Howarth and Mayor of Wagga Wagga Councillor Greg Conkey, OAM.In addition to a range of exhibitors, a number speakers from organisations such as Adobe, FARMpay, Professional Data Kinetics, and Westpac, will address the students about where an IT career can take them.Kooringal High School student and founder of EduKits International, Mr Michael Nixon will also speak from 1.30pm at the Big Day In about his creation of an electronics and code learning kit. He recently toured Silicon Valley in the USA as part of his prize for winning the national Regional Pitchfest 2017 for The Amazing Annoyatron.The Big Day In 2018 program can be found here.

Internationally acclaimed filmmaker, writer, producer and director Mr Alrick Brown will present a free public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Monday 5 March.His collective works have screened in over 65 festivals worldwide, earning several honours. This includes the HBO Life Through Your Lens Emerging Filmmaker Award for the critically acclaimed documentary, Death of Two Sons.He is also Assistant Professor of Undergraduate Film and Television at New York University (NYU).The NYU academic’s first feature, Kinyarwanda, was recipient of the prestigious World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival.Mr Brown’s credits include the small screen as director, producer and writer on a variety of projects – ABC’s Final Witness, ESPN’s short documentary series Spike Lee’s Lil’ Joint and Investigative Discoveries Emmy-Award winning series, A Crime Two Remember.His published works have appeared in the Huffington Post as well as the New Jersey English Journal.The public lecture will be held in the Wal Fife Theatre, building 14, CSU in Wagga Wagga on Monday 5March from 5:30pm until 7pm.Head of the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries Associate Professor Sue Wood said, “We’re delighted to welcome Alrick to Charles Sturt University to share his knowledge and expertise of the film and television industry as well as a glimpse at his life as an internationally acclaimed producer and writer.”

More than 800 new students will make their way to Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga for the start of Orientation Week (O Week) 2018 on Monday 19 February.Key points:- 869 new, on-campus students due at CSU in Wagga Wagga in Orientation Week.- More than 2 780 new, on-campus students due at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga in Orientation Week.- Orientation at CSU is organised by the University’s Division of Student Services and involves five O Week student coordinators and almost 40 O Week student leaders.- The O Week coordinators and leaders are all current students and will be dressed in red t-shirts and hats.- All funds raised during O Week across CSU campuses will be donated to the charity, Country Hope.CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann said, “The start of the new academic year at the University is always an exciting time, particularly with the arrival of new students on campus for Orientation Week activities, followed by the return of continuing students.“I welcome all new students, whether they are studying on campus or online. Charles Sturt University is committed to providing the best possible student experience, and sharing the University’s values so students become graduates who are insightful, inclusive, inspiring and who make a positive impact in their communities and professional disciplines.”Activities throughout next week include academic sessions for information about degrees and subjects; study skills; information sessions on a range of services and support offered to CSU students; and a social program for life at CSU.A highlight of Orientation will be a formal Welcome Ceremony hosted by Head of Campus Ms Miriam Dayhew from 10am to 11.30am on Monday 19 February in Joyes Hall, building 209 at CSU in Wagga Wagga. It will be followed by the colourful Market Day near Joyes Hall for new students.CSU offers a separate Orientation program for CSU online students. It’s being held from Monday 12 February.

The annual HSC Chemistry Days at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga is boasting its 20th anniversary in 2018.About 250 year 11 and 12 students from across southern NSW as well as the Central West will descend on the University’s National Life Sciences hub (NaLSH) this week for a range of hands-on activities.In addition to the popular chemistry magic shows, Faculty of Science Course Director Dr Celia Barril says the school students will have the chance to interview a number of Charles Sturt University academics about career options in chemistry and other science disciplines.“The interactions with the academics highlight to the students the range of professions open to them - from industry to research.“They can also realise that science is multi-disciplinary and that chemistry can be used in combination with many other disciplines, for example, the fate of anaesthetics in animals, bioactive compounds in Indigenous plants, and impact of rising temperatures on grape composition…“The very successful HSC Chemistry Day program has been hosted by the University in collaboration with the Eastern Riverina Science Teachers Association since 1998 and spread the word about chemistry to thousands of students.”CSU offers a Bachelor of Science with majors in Chemistry, Conservation Biology, Mathematics, Microbiology and Immunology, Physics, Plant Science and Spatial Science. For more information about this course visit http://futurestudents.csu.edu.au/courses/science/bachelor-science

With the new year in full swing, today signals the first day of class for the second cohort of participants for the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Agritech Incubator program.Project lead for the Incubator, Professor John Mawson has welcomed the new batch of innovators, entrepreneurs and small business start-ups to the University and wished them well with their work over the coming eight week period.“It’s fantastic to have such an enthusiastic group of individuals signed up to take part in the Incubator program.“The skills, knowledge and experience that each of them will gain from the facilitators and being able to share ideas with each other is simply invaluable,” Professor Mawson said.Fast facts about the Incubator Hub and the second cohort: -  the Incubator aims to spark innovation and economic development in the Riverina-Murray region, -  there are eight participants in the second cohort, some travelling as far as 125 kilometres to attend, -  the Incubator is funded by the NSW Department of Industry with significant additional funding from the University, and -  the Incubator program will run for eight weeks and finish with a pitch night on Monday 26 March.Professor Mawson said the new participants have put forward many exciting and innovative ideas, and the AgriTech Incubator team are looking forward to helping the cohort develop their business concepts.The second cohort will complete the program on Monday 26 March by pitching their business idea to their co-workers, families, friends, invited guests and business people.“It should be an interesting evening and a great opportunity for those in attendance to marvel at the bright minds and ideas based and developed here locally,” Professor Mawson said.2017 Incubator LaunchNINE TV News Riverina featured the Incubator in a story at its launch in 2017. Participants from that cohort were on-hand to talk about their experience and the benefits of the program.Hear more from the launch by viewing this video:“The Agritech Incubator gave our venture the kick start it needed. The combined expertise of the facilitators, Simone and Di, gave us the knowledge we needed to get our idea off the ground. Also, the contacts we have gained have proved invaluable.”         Feedback from @Wispada, participants in the first cohort The AgriTech Incubator is available to be used as a co-working, meeting and event space and enquiries should be made with the Incubator directly.

Registrations are now open for agrihack 2018, the agricultural super brainstorm providing participants with the skills to create an agricultural product or service, the opportunity to win cash and mentoring prizes, and potentially build their own business.In early 2017 Daniel Winson and his team became the first major winners of agrihack, creating a practical solution to uncover and fix black spots on farms, which in turn become the successful startup Agrinet (previously Agsensio).The agrihack 2018 hackathon will take place over two days and is open to anyone with an interest in agriculture, or a skill that can be applied to business.  Registrants can apply as individuals or teams, and will be assembled into evenly matched groups-think farmers alongside designers and ag business insiders collaborating with tech experts.agrihack will be held at the CSU Convention Centre and will be run in partnership with Charles Sturt University’s AgriTech Incubator and the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation.The first two challenges have now been released.  Our first challenge comes courtesy of Grain Storage Technology, and asks participants to find a way to reduce degradation from high moisture in stored grains; while our second challenge from AgriFutures Australia asks participants to find an effective way to measure live weight in meat chickens.Says founder of agrihack (and Australia Post Regional Pitchfest) Dianna Somerville, “The event will be run in partnership with Hackathon Australia and Charles Sturt University, and will focus on real challenges faced by people in agriculture and regional communities.agrihack will involve participants working in teams to creatively solve a number of different challenges that people face on the land. The event provides an opportunity to further connect the entrepreneurial ecosystem of metro areas to rural farmers, developers and disruptors.”If you are interested in being part of the event as a team or an individual, apply to take part on the website https://www.agrihack.com.au/registration/ or email info@agrihack.com.au for more information.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) and local health groups have developed an alert system to help asthmatics manage the risks associated with high pollen counts and thunderstorms in the Riverina.Dr Bruce Graham in the CSU School of Biomedical Sciences said the alert system, which has been operating over the last 10 years, had sent out four alerts during the season that ran from September to December this year.The alert system relies on monitoring airborne pollen levels and information from the Bureau of Meteorology regarding potential thunderstorm activity.“Unfortunately, the pollen count is a labour-intensive manual activity which takes about an hour each day, but hopefully the community benefit makes it worthwhile,” Dr Graham said.“Despite the increased number of alerts this year, data from the Wagga Wagga Hospital admissions for breathing difficulties and asthma attacks was fortunately lower over the Spring thunderstorm asthma season than in previous years, which could indicate the possible impact of the alert system.“People who have joined the Asthma Register that sends out the alerts are sent a text and/or an email alerting them to conditions that may trigger an asthma event so they can take appropriate action.”Thunderstorm activity can whip up the pollens ahead of the rain front, which triggers fragmentation of the pollen grains into smaller particles which can be inspired deeper into the lungs. This can trigger an asthma event even in some individuals who may not normally experience breathing difficulties.Dr Graham said, “This is especially relevant to those moving to live in the region and to visitors who may not have been previously exposed to these pollen allergens in the air.”Users sign up to the alert service via the Asthma Register and are notified by text and/or email message ahead of high risk conditions.CSU is part of the Wagga Asthma and COPD Collaborative of Health Professionals which was created following a major crisis in 1997 when over 300 people attended the hospital outpatient service over 48 hours.The Collaborative also includes representatives from the Murrumbidgee Local Health District, The Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network, the Wagga Rural Referral Hospital, and the Ambulance Service of NSW.Dr Graham worked with the CSU Division of Information Technology several years ago to develop the alert system that now forms part of the University’s emergency management system.

Almost 900 graduates will receive their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees during three-days of graduation celebrations at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga from Monday 11 December. Key points 894 graduates from the three CSU faculties of Arts and Education; Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences; and Science are due to attend five ceremonies.2 778 guests will be catered for during the five ceremonies in the University’s Joyes Hall 9.30am, Monday 11 December 2017-  CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann will be Presiding Officer at the ceremony.- 158 graduates from the Schools of Education; Teacher Education; Indigenous Australian Studies; and Information Studies will be awarded postgraduate and undergraduate degrees.- Occasional Address will be delivered by Ms Sue McKerracher, Executive Director of Australian Library and Information Association.- Celebrations will continue today for CSU graduate Ms Kate Allman when she is awarded a Master of Information Studies (Librarianship). Ms Allman married local artist and fellow CSU graduate Dr James Farley in Wagga Wagga on Saturday 9 December after the pair met in the USA when the then CSU student Dr Farley was on a Student Exchange Program.3pm, Monday 11 December 2017- 174 graduates from the Schools of Humanities and Social Sciences; Communication and Creative Industries; Indigenous Australian Studies, Division of Student Learning, Academic Success Unit; Centre for Customs and Excise, Centre for Law and Justice; Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security; and Schools of Psychology; and Policing Studies.- CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann will be Presiding Officer at the ceremony- Occasional Address will be delivered by Dr Julie Gibbons, tractorgirl. Dr Gibbons works with women in business in the fields of marketing, branding, and graphic design.- CSU’s highest academic honour, a University Medal, will be awarded to CSU academic Dr Heather Boetto, from the University’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Wagga Wagga. Her PhD is titled, An ecologically centred approach in social work: Towards transformative change.- Award-winning local artist, photographer and CSU lecturer Dr James Farley, from the University’s School of Communication and Creative Industries, will be awarded his PhD for his thesis titled, Working Within | Post-Photography and the Practice of Ecological Stewardship. Dr Farley is a member of the University’s Creative Regions Lab. It has been a busy few days for Dr Farley as he got married in Wagga Wagga on Saturday 9 December. While in the USA, Dr Farley met his future wife on an international Student Exchange Program through CSU Global. His wife Ms Kate Allman is also graduating from CSU in Wagga Wagga today with a Master of Information Studies (Librarianship). - CSU academic Dr Bernadette Moorhead, from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga will be awarded her PhD for her thesis titled, The Lived Experience of Professional Identity: A Year-Long Study with Newly Qualified Social Workers.- Mr James Githinji, from the Kenyan town of Ruiru in Kiambu County to Australia to receive a Graduate Certificate in Customs Administration from CSU’s Centre for Customs and Excise. He is the Regional Manager, Customs and Border Control, Rift Valley Region of Kenya.9.30am, Tuesday 12 December 2017 - 173 graduates from the School of Computing and Mathematics; Accounting and Finance; Management and Marketing; Biomedical Sciences; and Environmental Sciences.- Dr Saba Nabi from Wagga Wagga will receive her PhD, Exploring the Inclusion of Women, Children and the Elderly in Clinical Trials. Dr Nabi’s many achievements include 2017 Australia India Business and Community Award finalist, 2017 NSW and ACT Regional and Community Achiever Finalist; 2017 AFL Multicultural Community Ambassador; and Riverina Regional Advisory Council member at Multicultural NSW.- Ms Rani Burchmore, Education Partner Director, Asia Pacific at Microsoft will deliver the Occasional Address. The Federal Minister for Small Business and Member for Riverina, the Hon Michael McCormack MP will also speak at the ceremony.3pm, Tuesday 12 December 2017 - 218 graduates in the Schools of Agricultural and Wine Sciences; Animal and Veterinary Science; and Exercise Science, Sport and Health.- CSU’s highest academic honour, a University Medal will be awarded to PhD graduate, Dr Dominik Skoneczny. His PhD compared Paterson’s curse plants collected from Australia, Portugal and Spain to examine the genetics, ecology and chemistry of the plant in various locations.- CSU’s highest academic honour, a University Medal will be awarded to Bachelor of Veterinary Biology/Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours) graduate, Dr Jessica Verwey from Griffith.- Occasional Address will be delivered by University Ombudsman and Head of Campus at CSU in Wagga Wagga, Ms Miriam Dayhew.9.30am, Wednesday 13 December 2017 - CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann will be Presiding Officer at the ceremony.- 203 graduates from the Schools of Community Health; Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health; Dentistry and Health Sciences.- Wiradjuri woman Dr Jane Havelka will be awarded a Doctor of Health Science. Dr Havelka is Clinical Coordinator for the Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health) program in the CSU School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health.- 17 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students are eligible to graduate with a Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health) from CSU in Wagga Wagga.- Occasional Address will be delivered by University Ombudsman and Head of Campus at CSU in Wagga Wagga, Ms Miriam Dayhew.