Work has commenced on the National Life Sciences Hub (NaLSH) building project at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga with the establishment of the site, fencing, works on the realignment of Nathan Cobb Drive, and other preliminary site works. The NaLSH will help the integration of fundamental research with applied research and teaching, to build links between researchers and stakeholders (students, industry, producers) and identify problems and the development of improvements with immediate application to agricultural practice. It will create links to undergraduate and graduate training, and improve interactions across local/national/international partners in research in food security and biosecurity. An historical record of the site will be recorded by the capturing of time-lapse images of the site for the duration of the project. This is required for the information of funding and other bodies, as well as archival purposes. Please note that persons near the site may be inadvertently captured in these images.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic says the recent wide-spread floods in Australia demonstrate the importance of home owners understanding whether their home and contents insurance covers damage caused by flooding. Senior lecturer in law at the CSU School of Accounting, Dr Bede Harris, says, “In many parts of Australia, insurers do not offer flood insurance because the risk is too great, and even where flood insurance is offered, the premiums tend to be high. The type of risks a policy-owner is covered for depends entirely on the wording of their policy, and this can differ from insurer to insurer.” Dr Harris also emphasizes that it is important to note that insurance policies distinguish between damage caused by rising waters (flood) and falling waters (for example, rain leaking through a roof). “In those cases, coverage will depend on what the immediate cause of the damage was,” Dr Harris said.

The link between older people’s personal wellbeing and their involvement in social activities and problem-solving will be examined by a Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher in coming months. Occupational therapy lecturer with the School of Community Health, Ms Thérèse Schmid, will commence her research in February and seeks participants aged 65 to 74 years from Albury and Wodonga. “I will be documenting how participants use problem-solving in social activities, and how this affects their sense of wellbeing,” said Ms Schmid, who is looking for volunteers to take part in the research for two hours a week for 12 weeks. Volunteers may be accompanied by a friend. The research will be based at Aged Concern in Townsend Street, Albury. People wanting to participate in the research should contact Ms Schmid on 6023 3971.

The Evocities campaign has been described as a useful tool for recruitment by Charles Sturt University (CSU) Director of Human Resources Partnerships, Ms Jennie Anderson. Launched in September 2010, the promotion of Evocities - centres of Energy, Vision and Opportunity (EVO) - encourages capital city residents to make the move to an Evocity and invest in the opportunities the cities offer. The Evocities include Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga. “Charles Sturt University has campuses in five of the seven Evocities so it made sense for the University to become a supporter of this campaign,” Ms Anderson said. “The Evocities campaign includes a website where interested parties can find out more about each city and look for jobs in that area. It’s a great recruitment tool but also a useful link for those who haven’t lived in the area before and want to find out more about each city.”

Up to 200 adults and 100 youths are expected to converge on Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Sunday 30 January to compete in the second Come and Try Triathlon. The event is run by the Wagga Triants Triathlon Club and aims to introduce newcomers to the sport, but also provides serious competitors with a challenging event. Event organiser, Mr Stephen Trevaskis received very positive feedback from previous race competitors. He believes that the CSU campus provides a safe option for the younger competitors, and that the popularity of the event is likely due to setting slightly shorter distances which make it more accessible for beginners. Mr Trevaskis expressed appreciation for the support from CSU and the efforts of Manager of Campus Services, Mr Terry O’Meara, and his team, for preparations for this year’s event.

Construction projects valued at approximately $7.5 million are underway at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst. Three projects, jointly-funded with Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, are expected to be completed later in 2011. The Regional Inter-Professional Clinical Simulation Centre is a state-of-the-art teaching building for nursing and paramedics students; the Model Digital Learning Module will provide cutting edge physical and digital infrastructure necessary for the preparation of ‘job ready’ teachers for Australian schools; and the Health & Wellness sports facilities upgrade will enhance recreational amenities. This involves the building of four new tennis courts and two multi-purpose courts, the creation of sun shade and barbeque areas, the renovation of the rugby oval and the training oval with new lighting, irrigation, laser levelling and new turf, the upgrade of the existing rugby union club house, and the construction of change rooms and amenities at the training field.

Academics from Charles Sturt University (CSU) have raised a record amount at the Orange Relay For Life, an overnight community event where teams participate in a relay-style walk or run on Saturday 13 March to raise funds for the NSW Cancer Council. Aiming to raise $2 000 for cancer research, the CSU team finished with over $6 000, the highest amount of the 74 participating teams. “Charles Sturt University has supported Relay For Life since its first event in Orange,” team captain and CSU lecturer in the School of Biomedical Science, Dr James Wickham said, “but this is the most we have ever raised, partly thanks to an anonymous donor who donated $2 000.” With 14 staff members in the team, CSU was recognisable on the track with CSU caps and ties to complement their tracksuits. “Everyone did a great job walking or running for their allotted time but we were all a bit sore the next day, ” Dr Wickham said.

Having raised more than $6 000 at last year’s Relay for Life, staff at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange with help from friends and family hope to donate another large sum to the NSW Cancer Council following this year’s event on Saturday 19 March. Relay for Life is an overnight community event where teams participate in a relay-style walk or run to raise funds for the NSW Cancer Council. Team coordinator and lecturer in anatomy and physiology in the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU, Dr James Wickham, believes CSU staff’s commitment to the community plays a big part in their past success. “We had 15 people in our team last year and 14 will take part this year,” Dr Wickham said. “Charles Sturt University staff enjoy taking part in community events and being for a good cause we can always rely on our family and friends to help us donate money for cancer research, accommodation for patients, and to support the Cancer Council Helpline. Last year, we initially wanted to raise $2 000, so to raise such a large sum was fantastic. We will be thrilled if we can raise $5 000 this year.”

A critically acclaimed program to reduce the incidence of antisocial and dangerous behaviours among young people will be launched in the NSW central west with a free public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Monday 7 February. The Manager of Residential Operations at CSU in Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo, Mr James Kelly, said, “Putting Youth in the Picture is a unique educational program that has been developed in regional Queensland to help communities deal with issues confronting youth. This program uses a series of authentic but confronting movie scenarios to show how young people can become involved in life altering incidents as a result of poor decision making. The issues presented and discussed include sexual assault, a bar-room fight, use of illegal recreational drugs, binge drinking and underage drinking at a party featuring all of these behaviours. This program is about peer-to-peer education delivered in a way that youth understand, which is in line with current government literature, and how one bad decision can change their life. The University intends to offer this program to not only its students, but as a regional engagement initiative, extend this to communities in the central west.”