A Charles Sturt University (CSU) student will hone his leadership, speaking and listening skills in preparation to represent young Australians at the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya (20-30 June), as part of the national Global Voices project. Mr Matthew Lincoln, 26, who is studying for an environmental science degree, learned more about Australia's role in global environment and sustainable development when he visited Parliament in Canberra last week.There he met federal ministers and Opposition spokespeople to discuss environmental, social and sustainable development issues. Topics included protecting native forests to help combat climate change, capacity building for developing countries in the Pacific Islands, and how the federal government will address these in the future.  "It was great to engage politicians and discuss domestic and international policy from the perspective of younger Australians," Mr Lincoln said. While in Canberra, he also met with the Kenyan High Commission to explore the importance of education within Kenya to create a more sustainable and fair community.

A US expert in early childhood education will discuss the importance of teachers having various skills and knowledge to work with children and families at Charles Sturt University (CSU) tomorrow, Wednesday 26 March. This includes learning more about how and where their students live and the resources they have. Professor Beth Graue, from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in USA, will present a lecture on how, through improvisational teaching, teachers can draw on their knowledge of their students, their families and resources, to develop learning environments that work well for all. Professor Graue also has academic interests in home-school relations, the effects of class sizes on education, and children's transition to school. Her lecture will be presented to students and staff from the CSU School of Education at 1pm Wednesday 26 March in room 114/115, building 754, CSU in Albury-Wodonga, off Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona.

A student from Charles Sturt University (CSU) is one step closer to being named the Pharmacy Student of the Year 2014. Final year student Mr Jamie Pisani from the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga won the title of Pharmacy Student of the Year (PSOTY) Wildcard Finalist during a national student conference in Bendigo earlier this year. Mr Pisani from Callala Bay on NSW south coast was selected for his knowledge of over-the-counter-products during the National Australian Pharmacy Students' Association (NAPSA) conference involving up to 300 students from the 18 universities. He will now represent CSU at the national finals of the Pharmacy Student of the Year competition at the Pharmacy Australia Congress (PAC14) in Canberra in October.  Pharmacy Program Leader at CSU, Mr George John said "This is a testament to Jamie's passion for engaging with the patient. Jamie also gives credit to the way that Charles Sturt University approaches the training of students, especially giving them the right skills to ensure appropriate pharmaceutical care is given to each patient in a contextualised and tailored manner." Mr Pisani will also receive an award for academic excellence from the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science Professor Tim Wess during a ceremony at CSU in Wagga Wagga from 10am on Thursday 27 March. Read more in CSU News here.

Charles Sturt University's (CSU) Faculty of Science will celebrate the academic excellence of its students tomorrow, Tuesday 25 March, on the the Albury-Wodonga campus. The Dean of Science at CSU, Professor Tim Wess, will present nearly 100 undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in allied health, environmental sciences and nursing courses, many of whom study via distance education, with Dean's Awards for excellence in their studies for at least one semester in 2013. Professor Wess will also present four prizes to top students in environmental sciences, podiatry and speech pathology during the event, which will commence at 2.30 pm on Tuesday 25 March at The Gums Café, CSU in Albury Wodonga, off Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona.

A team from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst has won the local Love Food Hate Waste Sustainable Shopping Challenge staged by Bathurst Regional Council and Woolworths. The CSU 'Team CO2' were Ms Rachel Cavallaro, Ms Cathy Glasson and Ms Bernadette Curtis all from the School of Management and Marketing, and Ms Judy Doulman from CSU Training. Ms Cavallaro said, "In NSW about $2.5 billion worth of edible food is thrown away annually, which costs each household about $1 000 per year. The Bathurst Love Food Hate Waste Sustainable Shopping Challenge was lots of fun but definitely testing. The sustainability focus of the challenge is well-matched to the University's aim, and it's in everyone's interest to shop and consume more sustainably." The challenge scenario required the team to do a $150 shop for a family of two within 20 minutes. Points were then allocated for the selected purchases for a range of sustainability criteria. The CSU team won by one point, and received $400 worth of Woolworths shopping vouchers. Participants were guided by sustainable shopping tip suggestions including 'buy local, buy recycled, and bring your own bag'.

Recognising the importance of healthy students and staff, and wellness for a healthy workplace, Charles Sturt University (CSU), is holding a series of expos to highlight healthy activities and services that are available around Wagga Wagga. CSU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Vann, said, "Our aim is to have student and staff health and wellbeing understood, valued and actively supported at all levels of our organisation." CSU's 2014 SGE Credit Union Wellness and Wellbeing Conference and Expos include workshops such as those on mental health issues, physical activity, financial stability and security, stress management and prevention, caring for the elderly, alcohol and drug awareness, time management and lifestyle balance, nutrition, and men's and women's health. The Expo will be held from 9.30am to 4.20pm Wednesday 19 March and from 10.30am to 3.20pm Thursday 20 March in the Convention Centre, building 230, near car park 17 off Valder Way, CSU in Wagga Wagga.

The Charles Sturt University (CSU) 2014 SGE Credit Union Wellness and Wellbeing Conference and Expo in Bathurst on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 March is an initiative to enhance staff happiness, health and productivity. CSU Division of Human Resources spokesperson and Expo organiser Ms Melissa Lombe said, "Charles Sturt University (CSU) recognises and values the importance of staff and student wellness and wellbeing. The University's holistic approach to the treatment of workplace health and safety aims for the Wellness and Wellbeing Expos to make staff and students more aware of and engaged with the services available in our communities. The Expo will provide participants with information, as well as the opportunity to participate in workshop activities such as yoga, and Pilates. This will enable individuals to make better decisions about health behaviours leading to better general health and wellness. We also hope this will empower students to fulfil their academic potential and enjoy their student experience, and ensure our graduates are resilient well-rounded individuals." The CSU 2014 SGE Credit Union Wellness and Wellbeing Conference and Expo at CSU in Bathurst (building 1470) is from 9.30am to 4.30pm Thursday 27 and Friday 28 March. More information can be found here, or email healthyu@csu.edu.au

Australia's pre-eminent astrophysicist, Distinguished Professor Brian Schmidt, will give a free public lecture at CSU in Orange as part of the University's Explorations Series. Professor Schmidt is an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and astrophysicist at The Australian National University Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (formerly Mt Stromlo Observatory, near Canberra) and is known for his research in using supernovae as cosmological probes. He shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics with Professor Saul Perlmutter and Professor Adam Riess for providing evidence that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Professor Schmidt leads Mt Stromlo's effort to build the SkyMapper telescope, a new facility that will provide a comprehensive digital map of the southern sky from ultraviolet and new infrared wavelengths. He will give a public lecture at CSU in Orange, Lecture Theatre 3, on Friday 4 April at 6pm. To RSVP email kmadden@csu.edu.au

Staff and students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo will benefit from a wellness and wellbeing conference and expo on Tuesday 25 March. The CSU 2014 SGE Credit Union Wellness and Wellbeing Conference and Expo is an initiative to enhance staff health, productivity and happiness. Dr Bev Moriarty, the Head of Campus at CSU in Dubbo, said, "The University's holistic approach to the treatment of workplace health and safety means it recognises and values the importance of staff and student wellness and wellbeing. The Wellness and Wellbeing Expo aims to make staff and students more aware of and engaged with the services available to them in our communities. The Expo will provide participants with information and the opportunity to participate in workshop activities such as yoga, and Pilates. This will help individuals to make better decisions about health behaviours which lead to better general health and wellness. We also hope this will help students to fulfil their academic potential and enjoy their student experience, and ensure our graduates are resilient well-rounded individuals." The CSU 2014 SGE Credit Union Wellness and Wellbeing Conference and Expo at CSU in Dubbo is from 9.30am to 4.30pm Tuesday 25 March. More information about it can be found here, or email healthyu@csu.edu.au