Students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga have presented the organisation Country Hope with more than $5 500, the rewards of their on campus fundraising events throughout 2012. Regional Manager of Country Hope, Mr Chris Blake recently accepted a cheque for $5 525.95 from medical science and biotechnology student and Residential Advisor, Mr Bobby Porykali and pharmacy student and Head Resident Mr Chris Hill. “One of our activities which raised a hefty $2 200 involved Bobby shaving off his dreadlocks,” Mr Hill said. “We decided to collect money for Country Hope because it is a local charity and we felt strongly that we should give back to an organisation that supports people in regional areas.” Donations were also collected throughout the year at on campus activities during the London 2012 Olympics and regular social evenings at The Crowbar. The fundraising efforts were spearheaded by the four Head Residents of the Halls of Residences at CSU in Wagga Wagga.

Shiftwork impacts on many women employed in Australia today and a Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher seeks Registered Nurses in the NSW central west to participate in interviews to learn about how it affects them and their families. Ms Annabel Matheson, a lecturer and PhD researcher at the CSU School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health in Bathurst, says her research aims to understand the shiftwork experience of Registered Nurses who have care responsibilities for children. “My research will explore the personal, social, health and financial impacts for women who work shiftwork while caring for children,” Ms Matheson said. “The research is a qualitative study and the data will be collected by me during individual confidential face-to-face interviews.” Registered Nurses who are interested in participating in the research can contact Ms Matheson on (02) 6338 4086 or email.

Nursing student from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga, Ms Carol Mudford, has been recognised for her enthusiasm for nursing in rural and remote areas with a national award. The 26 year old, who has also studied with the Flying Fruit Flies and completed her schooling at Beechworth Secondary College, was one of five students nationally to be accepted into the Emerging Nurse Leader (ENL) Program sponsored by the Australian College of Nursing. Born on a sheep-wheat farm near Gilgandra in the NSW central west, Ms Mudford has completed an Arts degree and travelled and worked around Australia and overseas before becoming a volunteer leader at Mittagundi Outdoor Education Centre, an adventure program for young people on a farm in the Victorian High Plains. “That experience motivated me to pursue a career in nursing, with which I hope to work for rural and remote communities,” Ms Mudford said. “My varied life experiences, particularly at Mittagundi, have helped me appreciate community relationships and activities, so I have been motivated to become involved with local and national health student networks.”

Indonesia's commercial forestry sector needs to maintain good relationships with the communities that surround the forests. Charles Sturt University (CSU) doctoral student, Ms Kristiana Wahyudiyati, is investigating how forestry companies can make their corporate behaviour more socially acceptable. “Corporate social responsibility is increasingly being applied to commercial forestry in Indonesia and globally. My research looks at how well these companies work with communities in South Kalimantan in Indonesia,” Ms Wahyudiyati said. This week, she is meeting with her Indonesian co-supervisor, Professor Udiansyah from University of Lambung Mangkurat in South Kalimantan. He is familiar with local community attitudes and how positive relationships between communities and companies are developed. Professor Udiansyah is an expert in managing forest resources in Indonesia, and researches in environmental economics and rural development. He is also meeting with Ms Wahyudiyati’s main supervisor, Dr Digby Race, at CSU’s Institute for Land, Water and Society, based in Albury-Wodonga.

The risks of the sexualisation of girls and tips on how to help girls grow up with healthy attitudes towards body image and sexuality will be discussed at a public lecture in Braidwood on Wednesday 7 November 2012. Lecturer in philosophy and ethics at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Dr Emma Rush, will give an overview of what researchers and experts have to say about the risks associated with the sexualisation of girls and explain the government’s response. “A generation ago we didn’t see fashion and gossip magazines, padded bras and cosmetics pitched specifically at the primary school market,” she said. “While sex appeal has been used to sell products for a long time, in the last decade or so imagery directly inspired by pornography has also become much more prevalent in fashion and advertising. The increasing pressure on girls to meet very narrow appearance ideals at younger and younger ages is of significant concern to experts in child health and welfare.”  The free lecture, Getting Real: Challenging the Sexualisation of Girls, will also identify resources for parents and professionals who work with girls. 

Two high-level meetings this week will help advance the development of Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Port Macquarie. The Structural Adjustment Fund (SAF) Governance Committee meeting is being held at CSU in Port Macquarie on Tuesday 23 October. This is a joint management committee of CSU and North Coast TAFE. The Vice-Chancellor and President of CSU, Professor Andrew Vann, will then attend the inaugural meeting of the local campus’ Regional Consultative Committee on Wednesday 24 October. “The convening of this Committee is an important step in the establishment of a new Charles Sturt University campus,” Professor Vann said. “Regional Consultative Committees provide the University with strategic advice on the needs and expectations of our communities, and provide a way for the University to communicate through its members to industry, employers, government and the community. It will be great to tap into the thinking of local community leaders about their vision for CSU in Port Macquarie.” Later in the week, the Regional Development Australia (RDA) Strategic Regional Leadership Conference, co-sponsored by CSU, will be held at The Glasshouse in Port Macquarie on Friday 26 October. Read more on CSU News here.

Diverse topics such as work-life balance for farmers and how ‘active ageing’ can improve the health and vitality of older people will be addressed this week by occupational therapy (OT) students completing their degrees at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga. The annual two-day conference, titled OT: Our Time, will explore health issues relevant to occupational therapists as they enter their profession. Conference spokesperson, Ms Emma Ward said, “This event is a great opportunity for the students to challenge themselves by assessing their understanding of many aspects of health”. Opening the conference will be Dr Judy Ranka, a leading OT academic from Sydney. The OT: Our Time conference starts at 9am on Thursday 25 October in Room 101, building 667, CSU in Albury-Wodonga, off Bromfield Court, Thurgoona.    

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange will host a special graduation on Tuesday 30 October, when about 70 primary school students don the mortar boards as part of Check It Out Day. Year 6 pupils, from Parkes Public and Parkes East Public schools, will spend the day at CSU and will take a selection of specially prepared classes to give them a first-hand experience of university life. A graduation ceremony will be held where students will dress in mortar boards  and gowns and receive a certificate. The Check It Out Day is part of the University’s Future Moves program, designed to build aspirations for tertiary study among students in rural and remote NSW and Victoria. Read more here. The program is aimed at students who have the potential to succeed in tertiary education and who come from families with little or no experience of higher education.

Local primary and high school students will have an insight into science and the career opportunities it offers during the Australian Museum Science Festival – Science Unleashed on Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 31 October.  Australian Museum Program Manager, Ms Catherine Beehag, said “The Festival is a unique opportunity for school students to engage with scientific ideas that capture their imagination. Whether it’s the Powerhouse Museum’s Sustainable Solutions workshop or Charles Sturt University’s Crime Scene forensic biotechnology workshop, there is something to inspire students of all ages. We recognise that in Australia we must do more to interest kids so they can feel the excitement of science and discovery.” Primary school students will visit the Science Unleashed Expo in the Convention Centre, CSU in Wagga Wagga, for hands-on activities and to meet local scientists from 9.40am to 2.20pm on Tuesday 30 October. Read the full program here. High school students will visit CSU on Wednesday 31 October. Read the full program here. The program is a partnership between the Australian Museum, 3M Australia, ANSTO and Charles Sturt University.