Dr Sarah Verdon
Dr Sarah Verdon is a speech pathologist, early childhood researcher and mother of three. An Associate Professor in Speech Pathology in the Faculty of Science and Health at Charles Sturt University, Dr Verdon’s research spans five continents and focuses on embracing the diversity of children from different cultures, languages, geographic areas, socioeconomic backgrounds and levels of ability in order to create equitable opportunities for all children.
Dr Verdon has represented Australia on the World Health Organisation Development Group for Autism Spectrum Disorder, overseen the development of the Speech Pathology Australia national position paper and clinical guidelines for “working in a culturally and linguistically diverse society” and hosts the “Talking Children Podcast”, a podcast designed to support caregivers and educators to give their children the best start to life.
She also runs a speech pathology practice in rural NSW to provide much needed services to geographically isolated children with communication needs.
Dr Rachel Hogg
Dr Rachel Hogg is a psychology academic whose work focuses on human-animal interaction, social psychology, gender and feminism, mental health, and the psychology of work. Her PhD research examined horse-rider relationships in elite equestrian sport. She now conducts research on animal-assisted therapy, sustainability in farming, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences of mental health services, neurodiversity, social media, and the gendering of mental health diagnoses and systems.
Dr Hogg has contributed to academic and media discourses around wellness culture, sex education and consent, and domestic violence reforms, and is regularly sought after as a researcher and public commentator.
Dr Hogg grew up on a wheat and sheep farm in south-eastern Australia and this upbringing has infused her work, alongside her engagement with literary and performing arts.
Jonathan Medway
Jonathan Medway is the Director of the Global Digital Farm initiative at Charles Sturt University with more than 35 years experience working to improve agricultural management systems.
Understanding the capability and application of digital technologies for cropping, livestock and intensive industries is the central focus of his research and consultancy activity. At CSU Jonathan is building the University’s digital agriculture program, working closely with technology developers and suppliers to meet the challenges of building technological capability and its appropriate application as well as driving industry adoption.
Jonathan has completed more than 2,200 projects across Australia and internationally providing a range of data and digital technology based services to over 1,200 clients representing individual private and corporate businesses, retail service and consultancy providers and advisers, government agencies, research institutions and large corporate organisations.
Dane Simpson
The undisputed Comedy King of Wagga, Dane Simpson burst onto the scene in 2015 as a national finalist on Deadly Funny. Dane’s stratospheric rise has included bagging spots on Thank God You’re Here, Just for Laughs, Would I Lie To You?, The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala, Have You Been Paying Attention?, Wil Anderson's Question Everything, The Hundred with Andy Lee, SBS's Letters & Numbers or showing off cooking skills (or lack thereof) on The Cook-up with Adam Liaw.
This year, Dane has launched his new stand-up show Always Was Always Will Be…Funny at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. In 2022 Dane created Didgeridoozy, a critically acclaimed, gut-busting show where Dane introduces us to his master didgeridoo playing skills. Didgeridoozy first appeared at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, toured around Australia before embarking on the world stage, performing in India and the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Dane also performed Didgeridoozy for a 1hr stand-up comedy special on Paramount +.
Dane has also appeared on the Opening Night Comedy Allstars Supershowand Get Krackin. He produces the monthly Riverina Comedy Club and is a programmer/producer of the Wagga Comedy Festival, as well as being a regular guest on ABC radio with Anna Moulder and Richard Glover’s TGIF show.
If you need more Simpson in your life, you’ll even see Dane and his 70 year old Dad Bow racing across the globe on the 2023 Amazing Race Australia, Celebrity Edition.
Dr Jonathan Ho
Dr Jonathan Ho is a Forensic Medical Practitioner, and Mental Health Drug & Alcohol GP based in Wagga Wagga. Dr Ho works closely with organisations such as Domestic Violence Advocacy Services, homeless shelters, Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Services, Disability services, Justice Health and Forensic and Medical services.
Dr Ho’s “patient centered care” and “trauma informed” approach has seen him develop a great rapport with patients and health professionals alike, and he has earnt great respect from the indigenous community and the LGBTIQA+ community in Wagga Wagga and the surrounding region, as he focuses on providing an inclusive and safe environment for all.
His dedication to the community was recognized in 2017 when he received the GP Registrar of the Year Award, and then in 2019 he was awarded the NSW Mental Health Commissioners’ Community Champion Award.
Dr Yazdan Mansourian
Dr Yazdan Mansourian is a senior lecturer in the School of Information and Communication Studies at Charles Sturt University. He received his PhD in Information Science from the University of Sheffield in 2006.
Since then, his research interests have been shaped around the cognitive and affective aspects of Human Information Behaviour (HIB) in different contexts. Since 2017 he has focused on HIB in the context of Serious Leisure. In this ongoing research program, he explores the role of joy and other positive emotions in engaging people with hobbies, amateurism and voluntary activities and how joyful experiences inspire them to seek, share and use information. He also investigates to what extent people's engagement in joyful information activities can contribute to their overall wellbeing.
Bernard Higgins
Bernard Higgins is a proud Wiradyuri man who was born in Wagga Wagga and raised in Leeton. Both sides of Bernard’s family are Wiradyuri; his father’s family is originally from the Narrandera and Leeton area, while his mother’s family hails from the Euabalong region.
Bernard combined his two greatest passions, sciences and creative arts, graduating with a Bachelor of Animation and Visual Effects as well as a Bachelor of Science (First Class Honours). Merging these skills with his Wiradyuri culture, strengthened by completing a Graduate Certificate in Wiradyuri Language, Culture, and History, Bernard now creates animations and films in Wiradyuri language.
Prof. Shokoofeh Shamsi
Prof. Shokoofeh Shamsi leads the parasitology teaching and research team at Charles Sturt University in Wagga. She has qualifications in veterinary and medical sciences, and skills in conventional morphological and molecular parasite identification and diagnostic methods.
She is a taxonomist with a huge interest in identifying species, who goes beyond taxonomy to understand parasitism, parasites transmission through food webs, behavioural changes due to parasitic infections, food safety, biosecurity, and how parasites population changes in response to anthropological and environmental factors, in various ecosystems.
Throughout her career, Prof. Shamsi has made significant contributions, including the discovery of over 40 new species. Prof. Shamsi serves as a board director on Australia's Food Safety Information Council, and as a board member on the World Federation of Parasitology. She is also a Senior Editor at leading journals such as Parasitology Research and Current Clinical Microbiology Reports.