A public lecture hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Port Macquarie and titled Advances in emergency medicine: when does time really matter? has been sold out. The lecture is the third in a series run by CSU in Port Macquarie in 2013 and Campus Director Dr Muyesser Durur said the community response had been very encouraging. “The community has really embraced this concept,” she said. “Part of Charles Sturt University’s role on the Mid North Coast is to bring the latest ideas from the Universitty’s areas of research directly to the community and this lecture series has demonstrated that’s something our community is very interested in.” The lecture, to be delivered by CSU paramedic program leader Mr Joe Acker, deals with recent significant advancements in emergency care that have affected the health and well being of patients. “In many cases, the success of these treatments begins when people call ‘000’ and the paramedics arrive,” he said. The lecture will explore these medical advances with examples from the Mid North Coast, and educate the public on how they can make a difference between life and death. Mr Acker has more than 22 years experience as a paramedic, educator, manager, and health executive in Canada prior to joining CSU in 2010. He has worked as a paramedic in urban, regional, rural, and Indigenous communities and spent 10 years as a critical care helicopter flight paramedic.

A Japanese university is seeking to extend the success of Australia’s Landcare movement, with its history of practical on-the-ground projects that protect the environment and maintain agricultural production. Ms Tomomi Maekawa, who is a fellow with Charles Sturt University’s Institute for Land Water and Society (ILWS) and PhD student with Tokyo Institute of Technology, will be joined by her supervisor Professor Toshio Kuwako from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Professor Michael Seigel from Nanzan University and another Japanese expert, as well as the chair of Australian Landcare International Mr Rob Youl. During their stay on the Border, the visitors will meet with local Landcare groups and ILWS research professor Allan Curtis, Australia’s leading expert on the Landcare movement. The group will visit the Institute on Monday 16 September to discuss Ms Tomomi’s study of Landcare with Professor Curtis.

A passion for the meat industry and the ability to pick a high yielding, quality carcase has earned two Charles Sturt University (CSU) students a spot in the Australian national meat judging team. Ms Tamara Heir and Ms Laura Kemmis, from CSU’s School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences in Wagga Wagga, were selected in the five-member team to tour the USA early next year. The team was selected from ten finalists who attended a national industry training week in Brisbane which included visits to retailers, processors and a feedlot. It follows the Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging Competition held at CSU in July.  Originally from Walla Walla in southern NSW, Ms Heir is studying a Bachelor of Veterinary Biology/Bachelor of Veterinary Science while Ms Kemmis, from Queanbeyan near Canberra, is studying a Bachelor of Animal Science. “I’m passionate about building a career in the meat industry and this tour of the United States is an opportunity to develop contacts and gain a better understanding of how Australia compares in the global market,” said Ms Kemmis.  As part of the four week tour of the USA meat industry, the national team will compete in three American meat judging competitions.

Three Charles Sturt University (CSU) students with the School of Animal Science and Veterinary Science are making last minute preparations as they head off to the United States for international meat judging competitions and a meat industry study tour. In 2012, Mr Isaac Allen from Forbes, Ms Vanessa Campbell from Rutherglen, who is currently living and working in Wagga Wagga, and Ms Jordon Hoban from near Macksville in Northern NSW were named in the five-member Australian team to compete in two meat judging competitions in the USA. It follows their success last July at the Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging (ICMJ) and at a subsequent intensive Meat & Livestock Australia training program in Brisbane. The team is due to leave Australia for a three-week industry tour of the USA on Friday 11 January and return on Thursday 7 February. Ms Campbell said the trio is all very excited about the trip. “This is a really great opportunity because, as a fourth year vet science student, it gives me a chance to make international meat industry contacts and to see the industry differences between America and the way we do things back home,” she said.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will launch the latest review of its sustainability achievements this week. The University’s annual Environmental Scorecard will be launched by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Ken Dillon from 10am to 11am on Thursday 26 September at CSU in Wagga Wagga. Coordinated by CSU Green, the Environmental Scorecard has been released annually since 2007. It tracks CSU’s resource use and green gas emissions in relation to its sustainability targets. The document also outlines other sustainability initiatives. Professor Dillon said, “Sustainability is a key part of the University’s Strategic Plan for 2013-2015. The 2012 Environmental Scorecard shows us how we are travelling in terms of meeting our set targets. Sustainability is everybody’s business.” CSU Green Manager Mr Edward Maher said, “Some stand-out examples of great things being implemented by our staff and students that are featured in the report include postgraduate student David Gale’s ambitions to help small farmers in Vietnam to reduce their reliance on synthetic fertilisers, and lecturer Chris Orchard’s focus on educating his graphic design students about the environmental implications of the practices and processes used in the design industry.” Read more about CSU Green on CSU News here and here.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) has invited interested stakeholders from the Port Macquarie community to attend a Student Accommodation workshop on Wednesday 9 October. The workshop will explore options for the development of student accommodation to service the new campus being built by CSU in Port Macquarie. Construction will begin in 2014, and the new campus is expected to be ready for occupation by late 2015. Campus Director Dr Muyesser Durur said the workshop was an opportunity for CSU to ensure the development of student accommodation met the needs of the community and the University. “The community has welcomed Charles Sturt University into the area and has been very supportive throughout the planning stages for the new campus,” she   said. “This workshop is continuing the discussion, and ensuring any student accommodation is developed to benefit the University and the community.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Bachelor of Agricultural Science students demonstrated their grain industry knowledge by placing second in the team category of the Australian Universities Crop Competition. The three-day event, held in Temora from Wednesday 18 to Friday 20 September, saw students from six universities tested on everything from grain grading and yield potential through to weed identification, business skills and farm management software. Dr Sergio Moroni, lecturer in crop agronomy from CSU’s School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences, coached the team and said the students performed well. “It takes a great effort and independent training for this competition as students volunteered to represent the University and their preparation was done outside of their current study obligations,” he said. CSU was represented by Mr Cameron Prien, Mr Nathanael Liersch, Ms Georgia Branson, Mr Lachlan Vogan and Mr Jamie Thornberry. The annual competition is hosted by GrainGrowers.

Representatives of the Australian Rugby Union and Samoa Rugby Union will visit Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst this week to advise and prepare 13 female CSU students for their visit to schools in Samoa in mid-November to coach female school students who play rugby. Dr Matthew Winslade, lecturer at the School of Human Movement Studies said the trip is part of the University’s participation in the Pacific in Union: Mass Participation Program – Rugby4Schools. The Pacific in Union representatives are Mr Warren Robilliard and Ms Jocelyn Elliott from Australian Rugby Union, and Mr Luke Fonoti Gates with Samoa Rugby Union. “Our pre-service teachers will work with and gain firsthand experience from three of the most experienced sports outreach educators in the Pacific region,” Dr Winslade said. “Warren and Jocelyn have spent extensive time teaching, coaching and creating sports-based health programs for the South Pacific. Luke will travel from the Samoan capital, Apia, to Bathurst to provide our students with invaluable practical and cultural knowledge on Samoan culture prior to their departure. Our pre-service teachers can contribute to a worthwhile and successful international program aligned with the United Nations Millennium Goals and supported by the Australian Rugby Union to improve health outcomes for Samoan children. This training will help prepare our students for the cultural differences they will experience while in Samoa, and assist them to in working with school children and community groups.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Andrew Vann will meet with community leaders around Wagga Wagga to discuss how CSU can deliver more benefits for the city and community. Professor Vann will host the Vice-Chancellor’s Regional Leaders Luncheon at CSU in Wagga Wagga on Friday 4 October for community leaders and partners to strengthen partnerships in the region. Professor Vann said the luncheon was an opportunity to discuss how the University could work more closely with community and business groups. “The luncheon will bring together community leaders and partners to discuss the contribution of Charles Sturt University,” he said. “More importantly, it will provide an opportunity for the community to tell us about the opportunities they see for the University to contribute and identify the challenges we can work together to overcome.” Guests will be invited to contribute thoughts and suggestions during the luncheon, which will be held at CSU in Wagga Wagga, from noon to 2pm.