The Federal Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon. Julie Bishop MP will officially open the new Veterinary Science Pre-clinical Centre at Charles Sturt University (CSU) Wagga Wagga Campus on Thursday 24 August. The $4.5 million centre for teaching anatomy and physiology is the first purpose-built facility for CSU’s Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree which began with 45 students in 2005. CSU is the first regional university in Australia to train veterinary science practitioners to meet the shortage of veterinarians in rural practices and work in the area of herd management. While visiting CSU, Minister Bishop will also launch a report on the impact of drought on secondary education access in rural Australia, written by Professor Margaret Alston and Ms Jenny Kent from CSU’s Centre for Rural Social Research. The Minister will also launch a Senior Women’s Network of academics and administrators with the goal of increasing the proportion of women in leadership positions at Charles Sturt University. Minister Bishop will open the Veterinary Science Centre in Nathan Cobb Drive, CSU Wagga Wagga Campus at 10am on Thursday 24 August.

Commonwealth Learning Scholarships for Charles Sturt University (CSU) students studying on all CSU’s campuses in 2007 are now open for applications. The Federally-funded scholarships aim to improve access for students from geographically remote locations or lower socio-economic circumstances to a university education. The program includes accommodation scholarships worth over $4 000 per year for up to four years; and education scholarships worth over $2 000 per year for up to four years. In 2006 CSU students were successful in gaining 105 accommodation scholarships and 128 education scholarships. In addition the University has funded 30 new Professional Placement Equity Scholarships as part of the CSU’s leadership in practical and industry based training. The scholarships are aimed at assisting CSU students to take part in compulsory professional placements required for their courses. Applications for Professional Placement Scholarship support close on Friday 25 August. Worth a total of $30 000, each successful applicant is eligible for up to $1 000 each.

Early results from research run at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga have shown that reduced blood flow in people affected by the common diseases diabetes and hypertension may be due to altered shapes and numbers of red blood cells. Dr Ross Richards and PhD student Mr Prajwal Gyawali, with CSU’s School of Community Health, said 3.6 million Australians now have diabetes, with three in five of these also suffering from heart diseases, both of which affect blood flow. “I am now aiming to verify these initial findings on the changed shapes of red blood cells, which will require more participants in my study.” Mr Gyawali is calling for additional residents from Albury-Wodonga to take part in his research, which will help assess the severity and progression of diabetes and high blood pressure, and may also contribute to a better understanding of possible causes of these diseases. During a once-only, 30 minute visit to a research room at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Mr Gyawali will ask participants about their medical problems, dietary habits and medications, take body and blood pressure measurements and blood and urine samples for testing. To take part in the project, contact Mr Prajwal Gyawali on mobile 0414 932 057 or send an email.

A public forum looking at major questions surrounding prescribed burning in forests will be hosted by Charles Sturt University tomorrow night Tuesday 15 August. Prescribed burning is used to manage bushfires and maintain a healthy bushland. However, smoke from these burns has caused concerns for tourism and public health, particularly for asthma sufferers. Hosted by CSU’s Institute of Land, Water and Society director Professor Allan Curtis, four speakers will talk on different perspectives on the issue, followed by a panel discussion and public “question and answer” session. Speakers include US social scientist Professor Bruce Shindler who has studied how to gain social acceptability for prescribed burning in the US Pacific North West region, as well as representatives from the Victorian Country Fire Authority, local health authorities and CSU ecology expert Dr Ian Lunt. The forum will be held at the Nowik Lecture Theatre, Guinea St, Albury, starting at 6pm.

Aboriginal high school boys in Albury are being shown a bright future through a project being run in coming weeks by the NSW Department of Education and Communities, Charles Sturt University (CSU) and local Aboriginal men from Albury-Wodonga.  Mr Brett Biles, an Aboriginal man and CSU academic, is involved in the BroSpeak program facilitated by Mr Matthew Hogan from Murray High School to present local Aboriginal high school students at Murray High School with perspectives on personal growth and career options. “We are helping these students on their journey to develop life skills and identify and connect with their culture while encouraging the boys to engage with school. The program involves Aboriginal men from the local community providing advice, education and their stories on being successful and proud Aboriginal men,” Mr Biles said. CSU is helping expand the program by bussing Aboriginal students from Albury and James Fallon High Schools to also take part in BroSpeak. Albury Thunder Rugby League Club and Melbourne Storm are sponsoring the program with the BroSpeak group heading to Melbourne for a Melbourne Storm home game to speak with the Aboriginal players with Melbourne Storm before viewing the game on Sunday 25 August.

A senior Charles Sturt University (CSU) educator has been appointed as the new Chair of the Mitchell Conservatorium in Bathurst. Professor Tara Brabazon, Head of the School of Teacher Education in Bathurst, says, “I am thrilled to be a part of the future of the Mitchell Conservatorium which is a jewel in the crown of our region. Music is so important, because it is transformative and can enable both intellectual discipline and our imagination. It is important that every citizen has the chance to experience and express music in their daily lives. It is therefore very important that Charles Sturt University builds productive partnerships and collaborations with our colleagues throughout the education sector. Our goal is to build a strong link between the Mitchell Conservatorium and a new, innovative and exciting initiative at the University, the Creative Regions Lab. The goal of the Lab is to enable the creative industries and the knowledge economy in the central west because we recognize that the knowledge economy will help to future-proof the Central West’s cultural life. Music, sport, fashion, design, and media are crucial to us, so the aim is to use the capacity of digitization to support and grow the primary and manufacturing industries in our region.”

Charles Sturt University Winery has taken out the prestigious Best Sparkling Trophy at the 2013 Cowra Wine Show. CSU winemaker Mr Andrew Drumm was in Cowra for the Trophy Presentation Dinner held at the Cowra Civic Centre on Saturday 10 August. “The Cowra Wine Show attracts thousands of wines from around the country, so it is a significant win for us. We have been making great sparkling wine for many years so it is good to get the industry recognition that this trophy gives us,” he said. The winning wine, 2009 Reserve Sparkling, was made from fruit grown in Tumbarumba and is bottle fermented in the traditional method used for making fine sparkling wines. The wine is a blend of 70 per cent Pinot Noir and 30 per cent Chardonnay. “The Pinot Noir contributes a subtle red fruit sweetness to the nose and palate whilst the Chardonnay fruit developed typical citrus characters ideal for top quality sparkling wine,” Mr Drumm said. “The nose of the wine is complex, with restrained red fruits and citrus and subtle yeast characters. The palate is very fresh, with the complex citrus, biscuity characters coming to the fore. The wine has a line of acidity which will allow it to age for several years and gain further complexity.”

What combines physical theatre, live music, acrobatics, comedy, verbatim dialogue, multimedia, and a huge ball that people walk on? The answer is ‘What do you think?’, a 45-minute performance devised by second-year Charles Sturt University (CSU) theatre/media students which plays at the Ponton Theatre at CSU in Bathurst from Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 August. “When was the last time you saw a show that took what you were thinking and put it on a stage?,” asks Mr Dan Aubin, lecturer in theatre/media at the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries. “This work of short, dynamic, entertaining scenes set in a fantastic pop art design projection explores everyday thoughts in comparison to everyday actions. There is something in the show for everyone, and we invite you to come along and show your support for these talented students who gathered the material and created the content. The students have created some exciting pieces of theatre that go beyond a peripheral response to our immediate culture. They have found an entertaining physical and symbolic language full of deep meaning and whimsy.” The production is suitable for all ages, and tickets ($5 for students, $10 for non-students) can be purchased at the door or by phoning 0402 649 439.

Staff and students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange will plant native trees to increase environmental biodiversity next week as part of a CSU Green initiative for National Tree Planting Day. The event will see CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Orange and Wagga Wagga all take part in tree planting days. CSU Green Coordinator of Partnerships Nicola Smith said the event was designed to effect the campus ecosystems. “Our goals are to increase biodiversity by providing homes and food for wildlife, which brings more wildlife to the area, more ground cover, understorey and overstorey,” Ms Smith said. “We’ll also aim to reduce topsoil loss and erosion, increase soil infiltration, influence microclimate, and increase aesthetics for each campus.” Plants will come from local nurseries that specialise in native plants. Interested staff and students will determine where to planting the native trees on each campus. Miss Smith said students drew a sense of satisfaction from taking some ownership of their own campuses and would be thanked with a barbecue lunch. The tree planting events are set for Albury-Wodonga on Friday 16 and Sunday 18 August, Wagga Wagga on Sunday 18 August and Orange on Monday 19 August.