A Charles Sturt University (CSU) graduand will represent Australian universities at the 2012 World University Games to be held this month in Lodz, Poland. Ms Ellie O’Kane, who recently completed her Bachelor of Physiotherapy at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, will compete in the 6 000 metres track event on Saturday 14 April, against some of the best runners from universities worldwide. “It's pretty exciting and it should be a lot of fun competing overseas. Being a world university games, it will hopefully be a really good atmosphere,” Ms O’Kane said. The accomplished runner, who recently returned from holiday in Nepal and the Middle East, is due to start her career as a physiotherapist in Geelong when she returns from Europe.

“I’m delighted by this award because, in a sense, it brings to prominence something which I truly believe,” said Paul Worsfold, senior career development officer in Charles Sturt University’s Division of Student Services and recipient of the Vice-Chancellor's 2006 Individual Award For Performance Excellence (General Staff). Mr Worsfold was nominated for innovations on the Albury-Wodonga and Wagga Wagga Campuses such as establishing a graduate careers and employment research prize, online careers workshops, and an intern program. “My nomination recognises the necessary collaboration between a university’s careers service and the academic staff who strive for their students’ best possible futures,” he said. “The careers service plays an important part in helping the University achieve one of its key objectives – providing distinctive educational programs for the professions that prepare students for work and citizenship.”

Representatives of Charles Sturt University (CSU) and TAFE NSW – Western Institute will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Thursday 12 April at CSU in Bathurst to enhance the collaboration between the two institutions and the opportunities for students in the region. The Vice-Chancellor and President of CSU, Professor Andrew Vann, and Ms Kate Baxter, Director of TAFE NSW – Western Institute, will sign the document on behalf of their institutions. Professor Ken Dillon, the Dean of Studies at CSU, said, “The MoU sets out how the institutions intend to facilitate and continue their academic collaboration. This might include, but is not limited to, providing pathway programs with credit packages for domestic and international students between Western Institute and CSU; the sharing of facilities and resources; the conduct of conferences, public lectures, seminars, workshops and similar activities; research and consultancies; and undertaking joint projects, including professional learning, distance and online learning and systems improvements.” The MoU will be signed at 11am on Thursday 12 April at the Chancellery at The Grange at CSU, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic has joined with 13 expert English teachers and educators from across Australia to produce a textbook series for the new Australia-wide English curriculum. Mr Paul Grover, a lecturer with the CSU School of Education in Albury-Wodonga, contributed chapters on ‘The Writing Craft’, ‘Visual Texts’, ‘Writing from Asia and the Pacific’, and ‘Myths, Legends and Fantasy Writing’. Titled Pearson English, the book will be available to Years 7 to 10 students across Australia in printed and online versions. “Teacher resource books have also been written to support the introduction of the Australian curriculum in our schools,” Mr Grover said. “This innovative series allows students to explore new technologies, access new and challenging texts, and develop literacy skills for the 21st century.” Mr Grover has previously written various English and history textbooks and resource books for high school students. Pearson English will be launched in Melbourne on Saturday 14 April and will be available through Pearson Publishers.

A public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange will shed light on the nature of the trade-offs involved in the proposed transfer of water to the environment in the Murray Darling Basin. Professor Kevin Parton a lecturer and researcher at the CSU School of Marketing and Management, is an expert commentator on the economic and social effects of the water transfer. His presentation is at 6pm Friday 20 April, and he believes there will need to be trade-offs between economic, social and environmental objectives when increasing the flows of water in the Murray-Darling system, which is Australia’s largest river system. “The Murray-Darling Basin Authority has proposed to transfer 2 750 gigalitres per year from irrigation to environmental flows,” he said. “Many farmers consider the costs of even the smallest transfer to be prohibitive, while many conservationists regard anything less than 4 000 gigalitres per year as insufficient to capture any significant environmental benefits.” Professor Parton will consider a number of findings from preliminary research in this controversial topic, including the costs to irrigation farmers, the amounts of environmental water needed, gains for Murray-Darling communities from the plan, and the effects on losers from the plan.

A historical sale took place at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange last Saturday when 30 horses were auctioned at the CSU Equine Management Centre performance horse sale. The 30 lots included riding horses, mares, foals and young stock, many of which were ready to be broken in. With interest from the NSW Central West region and beyond, a large crowd of over 100 people attended the auction with phone bidders from Victoria, Queensland and Sydney also registering. Representatives from Revelwood Warmblood Stud,  at Sommersby in NSW and for Mr Heath Ryan, a member of the Olympic Equestrian team at the Beijing Olympics, purchased horses at the auction.

A visiting workplace learning academic from New Zealand, who was a Keynote speaker at the recent Practice-Based Education Summit in Sydney, has made a special visit to Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange. Dr Dale Sheehan, a senior lecturer and Clinical Teaching Co-ordinator at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, will visit Orange to pass on her knowledge to CSU, a university which prides itself on offering students an enriching, supportive and high quality student experience . Dr Sheehan’s presentation addressed issues such as setting up support for students undertaking workplace learning as well as assessing and engaging with workplace learning supervisors. Attending the presentation were staff from every School on the CSU campus as well as librarians and learning skills advisers. Dr Sheehan will stay in Orange until Thursday 19 April.

Two veterinary science students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) have been awarded prestigious cattle industry scholarships. Ms Katherine Snell, from Merrigum in northern Victoria and Ms Tahlia Ling from Forest in Tasmania have each won a $10 000 scholarship from export meat processor HW Greenham and Sons to encourage future agricultural leaders.  Ms Snell and Ms Ling are studying a Bachelor of Veterinary Biology/ Bachelor of Veterinary Science through the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga. Head of School, Professor Nick Sangster has praised their achievements.  “Ms Snell and Ms Ling are good examples of the many Charles Sturt University students who aspire to contribute to local industries,” he said. “Charles Sturt University is a magnet for accomplished young people from across the country with production animal skills.” Now in her final year of study, Ms Snell says the scholarship will help kick start her career. “I plan to travel overseas and see first-hand the issues faced by dairy farmers and their advisors on an international scale,” she said.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) students with a passion for sustainability can help the University reduce its environmental footprint as part of a training and internship program. The 2012 CSU Green Steps program  involves a week of intensive training looking at environmental issues, auditing and communication along with project planning and management. Students will then put these skills into practice in an on-campus sustainability project in conjunction with CSU Green. They can also opt to undertake an internship with an external organisation to get valuable workplace experience. Acting Manager of CSU Green Mr Edward Maher said this has benefits for students and the host organisation. “The students are highly motivated and come armed with enthusiasm and hands on training. They are ready to make a real improvement to the sustainability of their host organisation,” he said. “Green Steps also gives students an edge when it comes to commencing their professional careers.”  Students and organisations interested in hosting an intern can contact CSU Green. Green Steps at CSU is a partnership between CSU Green and the Monash Sustainability Institute.