Senior representatives of Australia’s 39 publicly funded higher education institutions will meet at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Dubbo Campus this week when, for the first time, CSU hosts the National Indigenous Higher Education Network (NIHEN) committee. On Thursday 6 March and Friday 7 March, NIHEN delegates will consider a range of indigenous education issues and make recommendations to the Federal government through its Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council (IHEAC). Many delegates are also members of the IHEAC. The Director of CSU’s Centre for Indigenous Studies and Dubbo Campus Head, Mr Gary Shipp, said “This meeting comes at a significant time in indigenous education for the University as it aims to serve indigenous communities better as the national University of inland Australia.” CSU Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Ian Goulter will welcome the delegates and Ms Wendy Nolan, Deputy Director of CSU’s Centre for Indigenous Studies will lead discussions about cultural competency and the inclusion of indigenous content in undergraduate programs.  

Australians may consume more native foods in the future as a result of new research to be discussed at the Functional Foods and Biotechnology Forum at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Orange Campus on Thursday 6 March. The research reveals that native plant foods have strong antimicrobial, antioxidant and emulsifying properties with potential applications in many mainstream food products. Addressing the forum about the functional properties of native foods will be Dr Jian Zhao from the CSU School of Biomedical Sciences. “Our research outcomes can potentially help the native food industry to add value to and better market their products and ultimately achieve growth beyond being a cottage industry,” said Dr Zhao. Researchers  from the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, an alliance between CSU and the NSW Department of Primary Industries,  have studied the functional or health-promoting properties of Australian native foods for several years, supported by the national Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. Speakers from government and private sector functional food research and marketing organisations will address the forum which is hosted by CSU and the NSW Department of State and Regional Development.  

He competed in his first triathlon at the age of seven and has been training only for triathlons since he was 15 years old. Now 20, Nicholas Kastelein Jnr, a third year Bachelor of Human Movement (Rehabilitation) student at Charles Sturt University (CSU), is now the 18-19 years Australian Long Course Junior Triathlon Champion. He won the title at a race held at Huskisson on the NSW south coast on 24 February. The CSU student explained that “There was no qualifying for the event, just the confidence that such a long distance can be accomplished. The swim leg is two kilometres, cycling is 83 kilometres, and running is 20 kilometres. For the 105 kilometre long course racing, swimming is my strongest discipline with cycling my weakest, but when racing short distances (750m swim / 20kms cycle / 5kms run) these are reversed.” Nick was born and raised in Mudgee and started his degree at CSU’s Bathurst Campus two years ago. “My goal is to finish my CSU degree and pursue a career in triathlon as a professional, racing long or short course events, with my degree to fall back on.”

The development of leaders and managers within Charles Sturt University (CSU) will be recognised tonight, Tuesday 4 March, at a ceremony on the Wagga Wagga Campus. CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter will present an award acknowledging the efforts of nine staff following their successful completion of the Graduate Certificate in University Leadership and Management in 2006 and 2007. The group represents the second intake by the CSU School of Business and Information Technology. The Graduate Certificate in University Leadership and Management is offered to CSU staff with the aim of equipping current and future leaders with the knowledge, skill and confidence needed to support the University in achieving its strategic objectives.  

The most significant Southern Bell Frog population in NSW is responding well to 8 000 megalitres of environmental water flowing into the Murrumbidgee floodplain over recent weeks with breeding behaviour recorded at nearly every site, according to a Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher. Dr Skye Wassens is monitoring the response of the frogs inhabiting wetlands between Maude and Balranald on the Lowbidgee Floodplain in inland NSW. The endangered Southern Bell Frog was abundant until recent years, and was in real danger of local extinction. “While the initial signs are encouraging, the small frog numbers located to date indicate a massive population decline over the past six years. Successful recruitment of young frogs and their survival to breeding age is needed for the population to recover and this is not guaranteed unless key wetlands remain full for at least four months and are flooded regularly in future years,” said Dr Wassens.  

It is highly unlikely that there will be a fresh case of Equine Influenza (EI) but NSW horse owners must continue to comply with all movement restrictions, so that if a new case did occur it could be rapidly traced and controlled, according to Charles Sturt University (CSU) veterinary epidemiologist, Dr Petra Buckley.  The CSU School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences provided emergency assistance during the EI outbreak by sending epidemiologists, Dr Buckley and Dr Jan Lievaart, to the NSW Department of Primary Industries State Disease Control Headquarters at Orange.  Dr Buckley says “Testing so far has shown that NSW is free from EI, due to movement controls and the willingness of the horse industries to restrict their movements, which has been crucial in the fight against EI. The disease eradication program would have been much more difficult, perhaps impossible, if horse movements had not been restricted and tracked”. Because of the need to protect the disease-free areas, horse movements between zones are still restricted and no easing of any of these movement requirements is likely before the Special Restricted Area or purple zone is declared a disease-free green zone.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) PhD student is examining whether parasites are more than an itchy nuisance for seabirds on two islands off the Australian east coast. Ms Margaret Watson, from the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at the CSU Wagga Wagga Campus in inland NSW, will study Crested Terns colonies at ‘The Nobbies’ at Philip Island in Victoria and Montague Island off the NSW south coast. Her study will examine how Crested Tern numbers are being regulated by parasites such as lice and ticks. The research will also look at whether the parasites are being transmitted by Blue Penguins and Silver Gulls, which also inhabit the islands, as well as lizards and colonies of three species of Shearwater seabirds on Montague Island. Ms Watson, who received an Institute for Land, Water and Society (ILWS) PhD scholarship under its Environmental Assets Integration Program, says “It’s just wonderful to be working on islands in the middle of the ocean and to get to visit places you wouldn’t normally be able to.”

Researchers from the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, an alliance between Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the NSW Department of Primary Industries, are investigating whether perennial plants can improve the bottom line for meat and wool producers while protecting the environment of inland Australia. EverGraze is a national project, with four trials being conducted around Wagga Wagga in southern NSW. The trials are using summer-active perennials to increase the fertility rate in ewes and phalaris hedgerows or shrub belts to improve lamb survival. The study compares four farming systems based on perennial plants, that efficiently use feed for profit, as well as using shrub belts to intercept water running downhill. Results from the first two years of research shows improved nutrition for ewes and ovulation rates are up by 22 per cent. The EverGraze research team - Dr Michael Friend, Dr Susan Robertson, Mr John Broster and Dr Iain Hume - will present the research results at the seminar, “EverGraze - More livestock from perennials”  from 3.30pm on Thursday 28 February in the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute’s conference room, Pine Gully Road, Wagga Wagga.

There is nothing but praise for the international exchange program from a Charles Sturt University (CSU) journalism student on her recent return from the United Kingdom.  Ms Eleni Psaltis spent three months in the north of England in late 2007. The third year student said she was the first CSU student to undertake the ‘sister-University’ exchange program with Chester University, which is about 40 minutes from Manchester. “Any new professional experience is good, and this was a brilliant life experience,” Ms Psaltis said. “I’d definitely encourage CSU students to apply for the exchange program. I produced four short radio documentaries for broadcast and the experience confirmed my desire to work in radio.” Ms Psaltis has previously spent a year in Japan in 2005 on a Rotary exchange. She will complete her undergraduate degree through CSU's Bathurst Campus at the end of 2008.