A key Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher has been returned to the Grains Research and Development Corporation’s (GDRC) Southern Regional Panel for the next two years. Associate Professor of Food Science Chris Blanchard from the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga is the Deputy Chair of the Panel. The CSU academic is one of 11 members appointed until 2015. The Regional Panels link the Corporation with growers, researchers, scientists, agribusiness and grower groups. Southern Regional Panel Chair, Mr Keith Pengilley, described the Panels as, “very important in ensuring grower concerns, ideas and priorities are fed into GRDC”. Associate Professor Blanchard is also a member of the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation - an alliance between CSU and NSW DPI.

Regional Victorians will receive a boost in access to higher education with a new degree in animal care and veterinary nursing to be investigated by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in partnership with Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE (GOTAFE) at Wangaratta in north east Victoria. On 24 July 2013 the Victorian Minister for Higher Education and Skills, The Hon. Peter Hall, launched a $1.3 million project that will fund the scoping and development of a new qualification, a Bachelor of Veterinary Technology, intended to be offered from 2015. The course will be offered to Year 12 school leavers, applicants who have not completed Year 12 and undertake qualifications with Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE, and veterinary nurses looking to upgrade their qualifications. Executive Dean of CSU’s Faculty of Science, Professor Tim Wess, said the project would involve a two stage process of scoping and then development in consultation with the veterinary industry to ensure graduates are highly skilled professionals that fill industry requirements. “This proposed new course builds on our established reputation in veterinary and animal sciences, further expands our course offerings, and enhances pathways for regional students” Professor Wess said.

A community development project lead by Charles Sturt University (CSU) students aims to improve the life skills of selected senior high school students in Bathurst so they have better opportunities to succeed in life. In an initiative of the Faculty of Business, CSU undergraduate students working with the Enactus program will assist selected Year-10, 11 and 12 Kelso High School students in the ‘Fulfilling Individuals’ Talent’ (FIT) project. Associate Professor PK Basu at the CSU School of Accounting and Finance, said, “FIT targets about 10 underprivileged students who are struggling but are engaged and have potential. The program will complement the school curriculum by allowing students to focus on the key areas of education, employability and life skills. Activities will be targeted to meet the needs of the group, but may involve guest speakers from the community, goal setting, and resumé preparation.” The first session of the project began on Friday 19 July and will continue for the rest of this year with the group meeting fortnightly for sessions of about 60-minutes at the Kelso High Campus of Denison College.

The Ponton Theatre might not need its heaters on “high” even though Hair – the Tribal Love Rock Musical opens next week in the middle of a Bathurst winter. Show producer and director, Charles Sturt University (CSU) second year theatre media student Adam Ross, describes the plot as “about a bunch of hippies who protest against war, take a lot of drugs and get nude and sing about sexual freedom.” He says the topics raised by the musical are pertinent at present. “With the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and with the issues of gay marriage and sexual freedom, it really hits home.” He also says the show will be a “trip down memory lane” for older people. “While putting up posters around campus, many lecturers are going, ‘Hair, I haven’t seen that since I was 15!’ I know it will bring back a lot of memories.” Hair opens on Wednesday 2 August, and continues on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 August. Bookings can be made by calling: Mobile 0428 611 916. This production will follow the dark play Kafka’s Metamorphosis, to be performed by CSU theatre media students this Thursday 27, Friday 28 and Saturday 29 July at the Ponton Theatre in Bathurst, starting at 8pm. For bookings, call: Mobile 0405 449 653.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Professor of Applied Ecology Geoff Gurr will address one of the world’s most urgent challenges when he delivers the Poggendorff Lecture for 2013 as part of National Science Week. The biennial lecture is an initiative of the Royal Society of NSW in honour of Walter Hans George Poggendorff, the eminent Australian agriculturalist and member of the society, and covers agriculture in a broad sense. Professor Gurr, from CSU in Orange, will address the topic ‘Biodiversity and the future of agriculture’. “One of the greatest challenges the world is facing right now is how we plan to feed the estimated population of 9 billion by 2050,” he said. “Not only do we have to meet that challenge, we have to do it in the face of declining availability of good-quality land and water, and the need to preserve biodiversity to provide critical ecosystem services.” Professor Gurr will draw on his international research program to explain how biodiversity can be harnessed to provide effective pest suppression and illustrate how on-farm biodiversity can advantage growers and the wider community.

The peak body for Australian agricultural scientists and technologists has honoured the life-time professional work of Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Emeritus Professor Ted Wolfe. The Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (AIAST), representing professionals working in agricultural science and natural resource management, has made Professor Wolfe a Fellow of the Institute. He has a lengthy involvement with agricultural education at the University which in recent years has seen him lead international student exchanges between CSU and the University of Delaware, USA. Professor Wolfe has also been recognised for his work in building the agricultural capacity of countries like North Korea and Eritrea, visiting and building ties with both countries. He believes strongly in the benefit of these visits to scientific agriculture and to farmers, not only in the host country but also in Australia. “Following the recent run of poor seasons, the Australian agricultural sector deserves on-going community support for the valuable role it plays in food security, land care and earning export income,” said Professor Wolfe. Outgoing Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Science Professor Jim Pratley said this was a fitting and richly deserved reward for Professor Wolfe for his tireless commitment to agriculture and AIAST.

Pharmacy students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange and Wagga Wagga will meet with industry and employer groups over pizza at a state-wide videoconference on Wednesday 7 August. The annual evening “jobs hookup” will include representatives from the Society of Hospital Pharmacists Australia and Professional Pharmacists Australia, says Pharmacy program leader at CSU in Orange Dr Maree Simpson. “We run a jobs hookup with our third-year and fourth-year students each year, to help them get a sense of the options available to them after graduation, and to help establish the professional and industry connections that can kick-start their careers,” she said. “Not all pharmacists go on to work in a ‘high-street’ pharmacy. Many go into hospital pharmacist roles, or into associated careers, and rural and regional hospitals offer many opportunities in those fields. A hospital pharmacist could work in an outpatient dispensary, in intensive care, recovery, or in coronary care providing medications and conducting medication reviews. It’s a really varied and valuable job, and the jobs hookup is a great opportunity for students to ask questions of the people who are often the ones recruiting into these fields.”

Taking mathematics to the real world will be the aim of a day long competition for Year 11 students from four Border high schools in Corowa on Tuesday 13 August. More than 30 Year 11 students, teachers and supporters from Corowa, Rutherglen and Denniliquin High Schools will take part in the Corowa Maths Challenge which involves two teams of four students each taking part in maths activities that include Charles Sturt University (CSU) and three local organisations: Uncle Tobys, Corowa Shire Council and Corowa Whiskey and  Chocolate. Dr Colin Carmichael from CSU’s School of Education will also attend with student teachers to help run the day. “Activities like these are valuable for the school students as it helps them see the relevance of mathematics when it is used in the workplace and the community. Similarly, the CSU education students will benefit from seeing how maths education activities can be run outside the school environment,” Dr Carmichael said. The Corowa Maths Challenge will be held in the Corowa Whiskey and Chocolate from 9.30am to 2.30pm on 13 August.

One way mirrored glass, software to record computer key strokes and eye tracking technology might sound dark and mysterious but it’s all part of a new laboratory set to improve computing research at Charles Sturt University (CSU). An upgrade to the so-called Digital Library Usability Lab at CSU in Wagga Wagga will be officially opened on Wednesday 7 August. The Lab will be used to examine the way that people interact with computers, media devices and the Internet. Lecturer with the University’s School of Information Studies Dr Asim Qayyum said eye tracking - where eye movements are recorded on many types of screens including computer monitors, tablets or mobile phones - is a well established research technique. “It can help researchers find out exactly where people are looking, how their gaze moves around a website or media device and which presentation techniques are most effective,” said Dr Qayyum. “This will add a new dimension to our research evaluating existing computer applications and may lead to the development of new and more user-friendly systems.” The Lab is joint project between CSU’s School of Information Studies and Division of Library Services.