Six Charles Sturt University (CSU) early childhood education students will undertake a community project in Dubbo that will focus on the importance of transition to primary school for small children. Titled Working Together for Children: Strengthening Transition Pathways, the project will highlight the importance of a positive transition experience to ensure children move into the school environment successfully. The Working Together for Children project aims to help the community recognise that the early years are the most important of a child’s life and their early experiences can influence their learning in following years. “Positive relationships between early childhood professionals, families, carers and schools are an integral aspect of supporting transition from the home or early childhood setting into the school,” said project representative Corina Windsor.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) scientist Dr Rebecca Doyle is doing her bit to encourage young people to study and pursue a career in science. Dr Doyle, from the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga, will take part in the I'm a Scientist, Get me out of Here! program over the next two weeks. Over 1 600 students from Years 5 to 12, will chat to 15 Australian scientists, including Dr Doyle - deciding along the way which ones should be evicted, and which scientist will be left standing to win a $1 000 prize. Up until Friday 22 March, the students will use blogs and instant messaging to meet and chat with the scientists. They’ll have an opportunity to ask scientists questions about their careers, their interests and general science topics. The scientists will be evicted one by one. Program co-producer, Dr Kristin Alford, said the competition, originally conceived in the United Kingdom, is now in its fourth year in Australia. Dr Doyle is a researcher and lecturer in animal physiology and welfare. Read more about the scientist on CSU News here.

Two Charles Sturt University (CSU) scientists will be guest presenters at the ABC’s ‘Science at the Club’ informal forum at Dubbo RSL Club on Thursday 14 March where participants can ask questions and express their views on a range of scientific topics. Professor Heather Cavanagh, Acting Executive Dean of the CSU Faculty of Science, and Dr Nigel Urwin, senior lecturer in genetics and gene technologies in the CSU School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, will address the topic, ‘What are your fears and hopes about new directions in biotechnology and nanotechnology?’. Professor Cavanagh has a background in microbiology and medical science including biotech and virology, and Dr Urwin has expertise in plant molecular biology, plant/animal biotechnology, and plant breeding. “Science underpins modern society and is changing our world at an incredible rate,” Professor Cavanagh said. “The very near future will be filled with leaps in technology that will change every aspect of our everyday lives, making a world that, to us, will be like a science fiction movie. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to discuss the relevance and impact of science more broadly, as well as how science at Charles Sturt University contributes to our regional communities, the nation and the world.”

The State Emergency Service (SES) unit in Bathurst will assist Charles Sturt University (CSU) paramedic students in an extrication exercise on Wednesday 17 April. Mr Brian Haskins, lecturer in the paramedic program at the CSU School of Biomedical Sciences in Bathurst, said, “The SES will join 15 postgraduate paramedic diploma students to participate in a joint extrication practice using the ‘jaws of life’ on a car donated by Bathurst Auto Parts. We really value the assistance of the SES and Bathurst Auto Parts in the running of these joint training exercises which allow our students to practise their extrication skills in realistic simulations. These simulators are used to practise extricating patients from car seats using devices such as the Kendrick extrication device (KED). Ms Susanne Dixon, the Rescue Team Leader of the Bathurst SES Unit and a training officer with the CSU Division of Information Technology in Bathurst, suggested the idea for the simulators to me at a joint extrication exercise last year.” The simulators were built by the University’s facilities management staff, with materials donated by Bathurst Auto Parts and funded by the CSU Student Paramedics Association. Eight simulation seats were made, each worth approximately $250, with seven for the CSU paramedic program clinical teaching spaces and one for the SES Bathurst Unit. After the exercise, a car seat simulator will be presented to the Bathurst SES Unit.

Construction of the new $14.1 million Bathurst Community Engagement and Wellness Precinct clinical facilities at Charles Sturt University (CSU) has begun. Mr Col Sharp, Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, said, “This is an exciting development which will improve the education of our clinical students and also provide an enhanced range of integrated clinical services for the Bathurst region. The integration of multiple clinical services in the one location is important. Firstly, it is a cornerstone of the University’s approach to promote and embed team-based inter-professional care to fulfil their role in the future health and medical workforce. It will also improve patient outcomes through an enhanced focus on prevention and early intervention, and effective management of patients with chronic diseases and complex care needs.” Funding for the project is from three sources: $7.1 million from Health Workforce Australia (HWA), an Australian Government initiative; $6 million from the Health and Hospitals Fund (HHF) initiative of the Australian Government under the Department of Health and Aging, as part of the Australian Government’s broader nation-building infrastructure program; and a $1 million Charles Sturt University contribution from the CSU Infrastructure Plan - Capital Development Plan. The facility is projected to be completed by December 2013 and will become operational in 2014.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) journalism graduate, Courtney Trenwith has won the Minister’s Award for Excellence at the Australian Council of Deans of Education (ACDE) Excellence in Education Journalism Awards. Ms Trenwith received $3 000, as well as high praise for her work. Chair of the ACDE, CSU’s Associate Professor Jo-anne Reid, said Ms Trenwith’s submission was “absolutely outstanding. I was especially impressed that Courtney looked at the human side of education, not just the big issues”. Ms Trenwith says she arrived at the Awards ceremony in Canberra expecting to receive the News category, and was stunned to receive the overall excellence award. She says she loves her work at the Illawarra Mercury newspaper, saying “education was the only round I ever wanted to do”.

Her Excellency the Honourable Quentin Bryce AC, CVO, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, will visit Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst as part of her visit to the city on Tuesday 14 May. Her Excellency will be welcomed to the University by the Vice-Chancellor and President of CSU, Professor Andrew Vann, and Professor David Wilson, Head of the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences, when she arrives at the CSU Dental Clinic at 12 noon. After a tour of the clinic, Ms Bryce will meet other senior CSU executives, nursing staff and students at The Grange Chancellery for lunch to mark International Nurses’ Week. At 1.10pm Her Excellency will tour the campus and will officially open the Inter-Professional Clinical Simulation Centre (building W11). Her Excellency will depart CSU at 2pm.

The secret to filming the perfect shot as an athlete lunges for the finish line will be explored when an internationally renowned camera operator visits Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 22 May and Thursday 23 May. Mr Glen Steer - a Steadicam operator - has worked on nine consecutive Olympic Games, as well as live programs such as The Voice, Celebrity Splash and NRL broadcasts.  During two days of workshops he will teach Bachelor of Arts (Television Production)  students the craft of using this highly specialised camera equipment. “This is an outstanding opportunity for students to network and learn directly from Australia’s most acclaimed operator. It will help boost their career prospects as they prepare to enter the industry,” said Associate Head of the School of Communication and Creative Industries at CSU in Wagga Wagga, Mr Patrick Sproule. “The fact that Mr Steer has taken time out of his busy schedule to provide this workshop is a testament to the industry recognition of our program and the capabilities of our graduates.” CSU has recently purchased a full Steadicam system which students have used to film public events such as Twilight by the Lagoon and the Food and Wine Festival in Wagga Wagga.

Students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange will visit Canoblas High School on Friday 24 May to help year 11 chemistry students conduct a practical laboratory session. The visit is the first part of a pilot program aimed at encouraging Orange high school students to take up further education, and careers, in chemistry and science. CSU pre-entry program coordinator Ms Tonya Graham said the high school students and their parents would make a return visit to the University on 4 June, where they would participate in another chemistry lesson. “The Canoblas students will also have the opportunity to sit in on more chemistry lectures through the year,” she said. “We want to show them the sorts of university courses that involve chemistry, and the sorts of careers they could go on to have by studying it. We’ve started this concept with Canoblas because it is one of the schools we run our Future Moves program in, but we would like to soon be able to include students from other schools in Orange.”