The winner of an inaugural national cropping competition has returned to Australia from New Zealand (NZ) to finish his Charles Sturt University (CSU) degree in 2010. Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) student Mr Sandy Middleton, from the School of Agriculture and Wine Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga, won the inaugural Australian University Crops Competition late last year. He was one of five top students to travel to NZ in January to learn about that country’s cropping industry. During the fully-funded four-day industry tour, the group met with local university representatives and visited the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, a number of farms and a seed production company. Mr Middleton told Get Farming New Zealand, that the trip was a terrific opportunity to learn about crop production in a completely different environment. "The trip gave us an insight into the issues facing New Zealand's grain producers who farm in a cool environment where water is abundant," Mr Middleton said. The CSU student from the Kyeamba Valley near Wagga Wagga is completing his degree by distance education. He is currently working as an agronomist based in Holbrook.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) wines were praised at a recent luncheon hosted by the prestigious Melbourne Cricket Club Wine & Food Society. CSU winemaker Mr Andrew Drumm was invited to match a selection of CSU wines with food at the monthly dinner and to speak about the characteristics of the wines. The sold out event held on Wednesday 24 February catered for over 170 people and Mr Drumm said it was a great opportunity to showcase CSU wines to an appreciative audience of wine lovers. “The diners were particularly interested in The College Muscat which we served with dessert and this prompted a wide-ranging discussion about which state produces the best port.”

Academics from Charles Sturt University (CSU) will take part in the Orange Relay For Life taking place on Saturday 13 March. Team captain and CSU lecturer in the School of Biomedical Science, Dr James Wickham, says he was impressed by the speed in which staff members put their hand up to take part. “Charles Sturt University has been involved in Relay For Life in the past and everyone who walks always enjoys themselves,” he said. “It’s a fantastic cause and a great way to celebrate with those who have battled cancer and survived.” With 14 staff members in the team, CSU will be recognisable on the track with caps and ties. “We thought we’d have an ‘academic’ theme,” Dr Wickham said. Relay For Life is an overnight, community event where teams participate in a relay-style walk or run to raise funds for the Cancer Council. The event brings the whole community together for a night of fun, entertainment, celebration and remembrance. “The University team hopes to raise more than $2 000 for the cause,” Dr Wickham said.

At the invitation of the Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Ian Goulter, the Federal Member for Macquarie, The Hon. Mr Bob Debus, MP, will inspect progress in the construction of the new Dental and Oral Health Clinic at the CSU campus in Bathurst at 10am on Friday 22 January. Mr Debus and Professor Goulter will be accompanied by the Head of Campus, Mr Col Sharp, Dr Sabrina Manickam, senior lecturer and the External Relations Coordinator at the School of Dentistry and Oral Health, and representatives of Joss Constructions, the contractor undertaking the project. “I’m excited by progress with the CSU Dental and Oral Health Clinic in Bathurst because, when it is opened to the public later in 2010, we’ll contribute to improving patients’ access to dental services in the region, as we will for other communities in regional Australia,” Professor Goulter said.

Ten South Korean students have joined five compatriots who arrived in 2009 to enjoy a warm welcome to Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga, part of an expanding collaboration that sees Korean students complete the final two years of undergraduate degrees through CSU’s Faculty of Business. The students are living in the CSU student accommodation at Thurgoona, allowing them to enjoy living and developing friendships with other students. Ms Kim Ji Su, or Sue, said she enjoyed the lively interaction between lecturers and students which was very different to university classes in South Korea, while Mr Choi Kuk Jin said he enjoys playing tennis and other sports which were very expensive in his home country. Head of CSU’s International School of Business and Partnerships, Associate Professor John Atkinson, said the students were “enjoying their educational experience in Albury-Wodonga” and that the number of students from South Korea at CSU in Albury-Wodonga is expected to grow. The first group of Chinese students are due to commence a new Master of Business course based in Albury-Wodonga in the middle of 2010.

A new survey aimed at improving animal health and treatment of beef cattle is being conducted by Charles Sturt University (CSU), the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, and the Hume Livestock Health and Pest Authority. The survey entitled ‘Animal Health and Treatment of Beef Cattle’ was recently distributed to 1 600 farmers in the Hume region. The study aims to evaluate how beef farmers assess animal health, and what sources of information they use to select the best treatment for their cattle. This information will be used to ensure best practice in animal healthcare and treatment. As part of the study, all beef farmers are invited to the inaugural Annual EH Graham Centre Beef Field Day on Tuesday 1 December at CSU at Wagga Wagga. The program includes several short presentations on issues such as animal health, pasture growth and economics. There will be four workshops on the following topics: How do you benchmark your own farm?; Why should I bother about pestivirus in my herd?; How to plan the best worm control; and Successful reproduction management. This free event will be hosted annually.

The Head of the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga, Associate Professor Margaret Woodward, will officially open a new exhibition showcasing the works of students on Friday 27 November. The exhibition, artifex, will feature students from the Bachelor of Arts (Jewellery) and Master of Arts Practice (Jewellery Design and Production). Artifex will be opened from 6pm in the Docker Street Gallery, 125a Docker Street, Wagga Wagga. The exhibition runs until Friday 4 December.

A final-year advertising student at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Communication is relishing the prospect of living on the upper east side of Manhattan in New York while he undertakes a 10-week placement with one of the world’s largest advertising agencies. Mr Martin Peat, who is completing the four-year double degree Bachelor of Communication (Advertising) / Bachelor of Business (Marketing), was chosen for the prestigious scholarship with BBDO Worldwide.  Mr Peat said he has made an effort to gain as much industry experience as possible while studying for his degree and recently completed an internship at the OMD media agency in Sydney. “I also work at Nova 96.9FM radio station in Sydney, which has given me a greater opportunity to explore the media side of advertising. I’m thrilled to be given this opportunity to learn from the world's best and gain international experience. BBDO is located in the heart of Manhattan, the birthplace of modern advertising, and I feel extremely privileged to be able to experience it first-hand. I don't think many other students get this once-in-a-lifetime chance, and I’d like to thank Charles Sturt University and the International Advertising Association,” Mr Peat said.

As Charles Sturt University (CSU) enhances its administration to better service the needs of its students, a competition to name the new Student Service Centre reflects this student-centred approach. Albury-Wodonga health and habilitation degree student Mr Ben Southi has won a new iPod with his entry, ‘Student Central’, to name the new centres, which will be found on each of the main CSU campuses located in Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Thurgoona and Wagga Wagga. At Thurgoona, the new centre will be housed in the new Learning Commons building. The new centres will be ready for the 2010 academic year.