Academic Publications

The internationalisation of curriculum is one of the major drivers of reducing systemic epistemological dominance particularly in universities that occupy what is generally regarded to be the global north. Whilst Australian universities geographically are considered part of the global South in many ways the university tradition within Australia is foundationed upon systems and educational techniques that come from the global north (as discussed by Stein, 2017). As one of the few remaining countries outside of the British Isles to still remain a member of the Commonwealth, this is not entirely unexpected however the introduction of a more globally aware and sensitive curriculum within the teaching and education of mediaeval history provides an opening for a more complete understanding of the factors and trade dynamics that occurred between the period of 500 to 1500 AD, which allow for a greater emphasis on the global nature of history and the formation of citizenship within the structures experienced in the present day (de la Garza, 2021). This presentation will explore the practical, ethical and political considerations with good practice examples and include some responses of students to the internationalisation of HST214 at Charles Sturt University, which is located within the regional areas of Australia (most notably in NSW). This work will also explore suggestions for extending upon this internationalisation process to include further depth on major influencing events within the mediaeval world. For educators from different disciplines the process of considerations to promote good practise in internationalisation within the mediaeval history discipline can provide transdisciplinary insight as to how a traditionalist and longstanding Eurocentric view of the past can be internationalised without losing its core purpose and educational value.

de la Garza, A. (2021). Internationalizing the Curriculum for STEAM (STEM + Arts and Humanities): From Intercultural Competence to Cultural Humility. Journal of Studies in International Education, 25(2), 123–135. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315319888468

Stein, S. (2017). The Persistent Challenges of Addressing Epistemic Dominance in Higher Education: Considering the Case of Curriculum Internationalization. Comparative Education Review, 61(S1), S25–S50. https://doi.org/10.1086/690456

Full book of abstracts available here: https://internationaled2022.com/program/ 

During the upheaval and crisis caused by COVID-19, many institutions have been forced to fundamentally change their approach to education. Many long-standing colleges and universities are sounding the alarm, recognizing that the previously large pools of overseas applicants have dried up, while the global discussion around education ponders the question: What makes an education worthwhile?

2021 (originally distributed in 2016)

Many undergraduates encounter essay writing for the first time in their initial year of university. Whilst there are many guides about how to structure an essay which focus on the basic format of introduction, body and conclusion, this booklet centres on the subtler nuances of essay writing - the various linguistic tips and tricks that many graduates have spent years learning through trial and error. This booklet focuses on specific activities and linguistic tools you can use to make your essays sophisticated and coherent.

Soil microbiology has a long history of being at the forefront of developments in novel techniques and agar substitutes (as agar is toxic to many soil microorganisms). While in many research areas, the morphological characterisation and plating techniques have been replaced by DNA extraction and analysis, there is still a wide range of field applications (and artistic ones!) for the experienced microscopist. 

Submission used as the front cover artwork

https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24101955 

Small molecule discovery has benefitted from the development of technologies that have aided in the culture and identification of soil microorganisms and the subsequent analysis of their respective metabolomes. We report herein on the use of both culture dependent and independent approaches for evaluation of soil microbial diversity in the rhizosphere of canola, a crop known to support a diverse microbiome, including plant growth promoting rhizobacteria. Initial screening of rhizosphere soils showed that microbial diversity, particularly bacterial, was greatest at crop maturity; therefore organismal recovery was attempted with soil collected at canola harvest. 

Publication based on work conducted through Honours in Science (Microbiology) at Charles Sturt University, funded by the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation

Awarded Best Student Poster

Rice, especially coloured rice varieties, is abundant in bioactive compounds. Some of these compounds have been shown to have antimicrobial properties. Natural antimicrobial compounds are of interest to food and beverage industries as consumers prefer natural preservatives. New antimicrobial compounds may also provide the medical profession with another option for treating antibiotic resistant pathogens. Antimicrobial compounds appear to be present in higher concentrations in brown and red rice samples and absent in purple or dark brown rice. These results suggest that colour is not necessarily a good indicator of antimicrobial properties. Comparison of milled and unmilled rice demonstrated that antimicrobial properties are present in both the bran layer and endosperm.