A project developing models of health care that work for specific needs of rural and remote communities is nearing completion. Dr Julaine Allan from Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Biomedical Sciences conducted research into why Molong and Canowindra have relatively good health services compared to other towns of a similar size. She says “confusion” over State and Federal government health services, and local communities being excluded from the decision-making process, can contribute to the inconsistency of health services from town to town. “Health services can also develop historically. A service tends to stay put. So, one town will have something that another town doesn’t, just because it has always been there,” said Dr Allan. “Next I want to look at small towns which are seeing increasing numbers of disadvantaged people moving in because of cheaper rental prices. They bring with them a greater need for health services. I want to work out what is the best use of limited resources in a large area.”

It will be smiles all round when the Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Dentistry foundation students celebrate their professional induction at the inaugural White Coat Ceremony on Friday 21 May. Representatives from the Australian Dental Association (NSW Branch), local practitioners and staff will join the second year students as they are presented with a white lab coat featuring the CSU Arms. The white coats will be presented to the 2009 foundation students by Head of the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences, Professor David Wilson. “The coat is a memento signifying the students’ commitment to the course and the dental profession,” he said. With the establishment of dentistry clinics at Albury, Bathurst, Orange, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga, the second year students are looking forward to beginning their practical work.

A graduate of Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) primary school teaching program at Ontario has taken out the ‘New teacher of the Year’ award in the 2010 Premier’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Ms Michelle Jerzyk teaches Grade 4/5 at Sam Sherratt Public School in Milton and graduated in 2007 from the Bachelor of Primary Education Studies (BPES). “Teaching is an extremely rewarding vocation. Each day, the kids in my class inspire me. It is truly amazing to see them want to come to class every day to learn, and to grow together,” Ms Jerzyk said. The Head of the Ontario School of Education, Dr Will Letts said, “The staff and alumni at Charles Sturt University are tremendously proud of Michelle’s achievement. As they say in Australia ‘good on her’! Michelle’s passion to meet the needs of each and every student, and her commitment to continuous learning and innovation in education, is a wonderful reflection of the values and objectives of our BPES program.” Ms Jerzyk said her training at CSU helped her become a better teacher. “Charles Sturt University’s approach is different than other universities. First, they want to meet you and actually interview you and, throughout the program, they place a lot of emphasis on practicum in the classroom and learning best practices and the latest education research. I think that helped to prepare me for the very demanding job of teaching and set me up for success,” she said.

The Curate at Saint John’s Canberra will be honoured for outstanding academic achievements at Charles Sturt University (CSU) when she is awarded the CSU Medal at her graduation on Thursday 20 May. Ordained as an Anglican Deacon in November 2009, The Rev. Susan Bridge will be awarded a Bachelor of Theology with Distinction during the CSU graduation ceremony from 5pm in the Parramatta Town Hall in Sydney. The graduate is a lawyer and worked in senior management positions before leaving her former career to study at CSU through the St Mark's National Theological Centre by distance education. The Rev. Bridge moved from Sydney to Canberra in the final year of her degree in 2009 to continue her studies on campus and to be ordained in the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. "I loved studying at St Mark's and now I am delighted to be involved in the life of a vibrant Anglican parish based in the Canberra suburb of Reid," she said.

The Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Policing Studies in Goulburn received a NSW Premier’s Public Sector Awards 2009 Commendation on Friday 7 May for its Indigenous Police Recruitment Out West Delivery (IPROWD) project. The award was in the category of Engaging with the Community, and included CSU’s program delivery partners the Department of Police and Emergency Services, NSW Police Force, the Department of Education and Training, and TAFE Western Institute. The Head of the School of Policing Studies, Associate Professor Rosemary Woolston, said, “The School of Policing Studies has been actively involved in this program since its inception and has worked closely with TAFE Dubbo to ensure the curriculum suitably prepares the Indigenous students for study in the Associate Degree in Policing Practice, the entry course for the NSW Police Force. In particular, Mr Paul Comino, a lecturer in the School, has been a key player in this project.”

Members of the public, health professionals, academics and students are invited to a free public lecture by Dr Brian Maguire, a visiting US Fulbright scholar at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst, on Wednesday 19 May. Professor Peter O’Meara, Professor in Paramedic Practice and Leadership at the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU in Bathurst said it was a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in the future of paramedic and ambulance services to hear and meet Dr Maguire, a researcher who is contributing to the shaping of paramedic practice and services around the world. “Dr Maguire's groundbreaking research in the United States was the first to show that ambulance personnel in that country have an occupational fatality rate and a non-fatal injury rate that is far above the national average and comparable to the rates for police and fire-fighters,” Professor O’Meara said.

The potential health risk of rural drinking water was the topic of a talk Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher Dr Andrea Crampton gave to Rotarians in Wagga Wagga last month. Dr Crampton, who is a member of CSU’s Institute for Land, Water and Society (ILWS)  found that more than 50 per cent of rural tank water drinkers were drinking water that exceeded the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. In one instance the level of E.coli was 230 times the acceptable limit. Interviews with participants in the study identified a need for more information on potential risks and how to reduce those risks, steps already known but not communicated effectively to the rural community. “Not surprisingly most were more than happy for the government to stay away from their water supplies, preferring to manage their own systems but in a more informed manner,” Dr Crampton said.

The Institute of Land, Water and Society (ILWS)  at Charles Sturt University (CSU) is a sponsor of the ‘Slopes to Summit’ Farm and Environmental Open Day on Sunday 23 May at Woomargama in southern NSW. Organised by the Nature Conservation Trust of NSW and Holbrook Landcare, the day will celebrate the International Day of Biodiversity with a range of free talks, tours and activities for landowners, families and people interested in their environment. ILWS member Dr Andrea Crampton from the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga will have a display and information stand on ‘Rural Drinking Water: Risks, practices and prevention’ while ILWS Associate Professor David Watson from the School of Environmental Sciences at CSU in Albury-Wodonga will talk about mistletoe and lead a tour of the restoration trials at a Woomargama property. Dean of the Faculty of Science at CSU, Professor Nick Klomp will talk on ‘Quirky science; be amused not alarmed’ and PhD student Mr Ian Cole will talk on ‘Getting to know native grasses.’

Eighteen high-achieving students will receive scholarships at a presentation ceremony at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange on Friday 21 May. The Head of Campus at CSU in Orange, Professor Kevin Parton, will welcome the students and their guests to the campus, and the scholarships will be presented.  The University’s Deputy Chancellor, Ms Kathryn Pitkin will also extend a welcome to guests to the University on behalf of the University Council. Bachelor of Clinical Science student and Beyond Medical Education scholar, Ms Cassane Eccleston, will give the Vote of Thanks on behalf of the students.