The engineering course at Charles Sturt University (CSU) will host a feast of all things engineering over three days next week on the Bathurst campus.Engineering firms, local high schools and the wider Central West community will see and hear how the engineering profession assists national and local economic development and learn about opportunities to study engineering at CSU.All visitors can view the first projects completed by the inaugural student group enrolled in engineering at CSU in Bathurst, which are part of the annual Engineers Without Borders challenge for university students. These projects aim to produce solutions that address engineering problems in developing countries. [See details here]Day one (Tuesday 7 June 2016) will provide an opportunity for local engineers and their employers to address issues affecting them, including water quality, regional development, and the impact of local government restructure on the provision of engineering services to the community.On day two, high school students will have their own work on show while teachers receive the latest information on engineering and technology for schools.In the afternoon, visitors can also enjoy a comic debate on whether engineers would survive a 'zombie apocalypse'. The debate will take place in the environmentally sustainable CSU Engineering building, which will also be open for inspection throughout the three-day event.During the debate, younger budding engineers will be entertained at the nearby 'creation station', with spaghetti bridges, gallery wall paintings, a magician and the magic of science.Day three is the final demonstration of the student projects before they formally 'pitch' and exhibit their ideas in the gallery of the Engineering building.EngFest 2016 runs from 10am on Tuesday 7 June to 2pm on Thursday 9 June.See the event program for details of activities.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) has again been recognised for its efforts to help the environment by winning a regional award for excellence in sustainability.The Wagga Wagga Business Chamber's annual Crow Award for Excellence in Sustainability was awarded to CSU for its initiatives aimed at reducing the University's carbon footprint.The sustainability initiatives, coordinated through CSU Green, include the adoption of the Learning in Future Environments (LiFE) as part of the CSU Strategy, the annual Sustainability Grant program, and initiatives to reduce University waste, cut energy use, improve local biodiversity and encourage staff and students into environmentally friendly transport.  The latest CSU Green initiative is the purchase of electric cars for CSU in Bathurst and Wagga Wagga.CSU Green Manager Mr Edward Maher said, "Environmental sustainability is a big part of the Charles Sturt University ethos of 'acting for the public good'."The University places great importance on being a valued contributor to the regional communities in which we operate so it's particularly rewarding to be recognised by the Wagga Wagga business community through this Award."The award was accepted by Mr Maher during the Golden Crow Awards' presentation ceremony on Friday 13 May.

A radical adaptation of the ancient Greek tragedy The Trojan Women will see the play transposed to the modern age at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst next week.Final-year theatre/media students in the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries are staging Euripides' The Trojan Women in Bathurst from Monday 23 to Saturday 28 May.Director Mr Adam Deusien and final-year theatre/media student Ms Nina Oyama adapted this version of The Trojan Women from Euripides' original text."The Trojan Women is an exciting collaboration between the School of Communication and Creative Industries and CSU Engineering as one way to reveal the newly-opened building to the wider Bathurst public," Mr Deusien said."This site-specific and immersive theatre experience takes a harrowing look at bureaucracy, loss, and femininity across both the modern and ancient worlds, and will be performed using multiple spaces in the new state-of-the-art facility."While tickets are available at the door, the performances on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 are sold-out, and tickets for other performances are selling fast, so online booking at www.sprungfestival.com is recommended.

The memory and generosity of two passionate advocates for regional higher education will be honoured at the annual scholarship ceremony at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga.The annual ceremony, starting at 4.30pm on Thursday 19 May, will celebrate the academic achievements and endeavours of more than 100 students enrolled in business, arts, education and science courses at CSU in Wagga Wagga.This year, the event will hold special significance as CSU Foundation Trust welcomes the receipt of a bequest of over $3 million from Carole and Stan Droder.Another new donor is the CSU Bushpigs Football Club, providing a scholarship to help a gifted footballer succeed at both academic and sporting endeavours. The new scholarship is partially funded from the generous donations received from the Club's supporters and former players.Other local businesses and organisations will also present scholarships to deserving students to assist them in their studies.CSU Foundation administers over 300 scholarships annually, 73 of which will be presented at the ceremony in Wagga Wagga.CSU will award more than $1.2 million in scholarships in 2016 to help students reach their full potential.

The relationship of Charles Sturt University (CSU) history students with cultural sites in Bathurst grew when they recently visited a National Trust of Australia (NSW) home to experience Australian colonial life.The second-year history students, many of whom are studying teacher education degrees, visited the historic Miss Traill's House in Bathurst as part of their exploration of the subject 'Colonial Australia'.History tutor in the CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Bathurst Mr Sam Malloy (pictured with students, at right) said, "This subject explores how class mobility in 19th century colonial Australia included free convicts (emancipists) who rose to become middle-class. Students' insights into and empathy with bygone eras grows when they can step in an historic space and see tangible artefacts used in previous centuries."The collection at Miss Traill's House is one of the rarest examples in Australia. It shows in one place how two Bathurst pioneering families, the Lee and Kite families, prospered from convict and settler beginnings to become two of the most prosperous families in the Bathurst district."Mr Malloy said Miss Traill's House is an excellent example how its collection of original furniture, porcelain, paintings, and family memorabilia shows these dramatic changes in colonial fortunes."The house and its possessions derive from William Lee and Thomas Kite, Miss Ida Traill's maternal great-grandfathers, who were among the first ten men granted land in the Bathurst district in 1818 by Governor Lachlan Macquarie," Mr Malloy said."Miss Traill died in 1976 and bequeathed her house, family collection, and garden to the National Trust of Australia (NSW). The students' tour of the house included the formal rooms as well as the bedrooms, kitchen, and Miss Traill's personal office."

The memory and generosity of two passionate advocates for regional higher education will be honoured at this year's major scholarship ceremony at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga.The annual ceremony, starting at 5.30pm on Wednesday 18 May, celebrates the academic achievements and endeavours of current students enrolled in business, education and science courses at CSU in Albury-Wodonga in the CD Blake Auditorium at Thurgoona.This year, the event will hold special significance as CSU Foundation Trust welcomes the receipt of a bequest of over $3 million from Carole and Stan Droder.Other new donors presenting prizes at this year's ceremony include the Westpac Corporation and the Rand-Walbundrie Football Club.They will be joined by other local businesses and organisations in presenting scholarships to deserving students to assist them in their studies.CSU Foundation administers over 300 scholarships annually, 39 of which will be awarded at the Albury ceremony.CSU Foundation recognises that by giving rural and regional students in Australia fair access to higher education, CSU can develop professionals who have experience in regional areas and further afield, which will help them to maintain and develop healthy local economies and vibrant communities.This year across all campuses, CSU will award more than $1.2 million in scholarships to help students reach their full potential.

The Hon. Ed Husic, MP, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting with Digital Innovation and Start-ups, will tour the new CSU Engineering program facilities at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Thursday 12 May from 4pm to 5pm.Mr Husic will be welcomed by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Toni Downes, and Head of Campus in Bathurst, Associate Professor Chika Anyanwu. Professor of Engineering Dr James Morgan will lead the tour which will be followed by an afternoon tea.Mr Husic will provide a public address from 6pm to 7pm at CSU Engineering (building 1305, Village Drive) to discuss 'Regional Innovation and Start-ups', followed by a question and answer session.

The recent momentous discovery of gravitational waves is the topic of a free public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange on Tuesday 17 May.The Explorations Series public lecture will be delivered by Dr Philip Charlton, senior lecturer in mathematics in the CSU School of Computing and Mathematics. Dr Charlton was one of the Australian scientists who played a key role in the discovery of gravitational waves by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration in February 2016.His lecture will discuss the discovery and scientific implications of this first observation by scientists of ripples in the fabric of space-time (gravitational waves) arriving at the earth from a cataclysmic event in the distant universe. This confirmed a major prediction of Albert Einstein's 1915 general theory of relativity, and opened an unprecedented new window onto the cosmos.The public lecture will be presented at 6pm Tuesday 17 May in room 120, building 1004, at CSU, Leeds Parade, Orange. For more information contact Regional Relations Assistant to Head of Campus Orange, Ms Margot Drake on 6365 7500 or mdrake@csu.edu.au.

The role of exercise in promoting sleep and improving appetite regulation is being examined as part of a study at Charles Sturt University (CSU).Student Ms Penelope Larsen is completing her PhD through the CSU School of Exercise Science, Sport and Health and needs more than 600 people aged between 35 and 60 to take part in her research."The first component of the study uses a series of questionnaires which allow participants to give an explanation of their perceived sleep quality, eating behaviour, level of physical activity, and mood states," Ms Larsen said."Data from these questionnaires will examine the relationship between sleep, diet and physical activity to better determine the role of exercise in day-to-day lives."Participants can also volunteer to take part in further research where they could be randomly selected to wear an Actiwatch for two weeks to record daily activity and sleep patterns.Ms Larsen's research supervisor Dr Melissa Skein from CSU in Bathurst said, "The study will provide vital information about an individual's sleep and overall health and will be the platform for Penelope to examine specific exercise training protocols on sleep, appetite, and eating behaviour later in her PhD."The provision of questionnaires means it does not require too much time for the participants and they complete it at a time that suits them."If you have any questions or would like to take part in the research contact Ms Larsen by email to plarsen@csu.edu.au