La Trobe University Albury-Wodonga

27/10/2026

You don't need permission make change in the world. You just need a safe place to start 🌏

The World Food Forum Global Youth Action Initiative and La Trobe University are looking for young innovators (18 - 35) with a hunger to tackle the biggest agri-food issues of our time — from food security to climate adaptation, public health and creating more resilient food systems.

🤝 As the the Knowledge Partner of the first Australia-Pacific Youth Food Lab, La Trobe will lead masterclasses, a mentorship program and an ideas incubator to equip young change-makers with the skills and connections to attract investment, scale up ideas and build sustainability leadership skills.

🌱 Apply at the link below 👇

26/10/2026

Our AI in Action event is quickly approaching!

If you’re not sure what to expect, hear it directly from Linda Nieuwenhuizen, CEO of Committee for Greater Shepparton, who attended the event in Shepparton this month:

“Ali Juma delivered one of the best practical AI presentations I’ve heard. It was squarely focused on business users—not simply automating mundane tasks, but improving how we approach challenges, test our thinking and make decisions."

“From creating a virtual challenge panel to defining the problem I wanted to solve, Ali demonstrated practical ways to bring fresh perspectives and greater discipline to our thinking. These are approaches constantly recommended in leadership training that we know we should use, but too often skip in the day-to-day rush."

“I left with ideas I could put to work immediately. It definitely wasn’t about replacing humans—it was about helping us be better humans - as managers and leaders.”

— Linda Nieuwenhuizen, CEO, Committee for Greater Shepparton

Join us for AI in Action Albury-Wodonga and explore practical ways AI can support better thinking, decision-making and leadership.

🎟️ Book now:

AI is already reshaping work across the Hume region. Are you ready for what comes next?

22/10/2026

Great teachers are developed through great partnerships.

La Trobe's School of Education invites school leaders, professional experience coordinators and staff who support pre-service teachers to join us for breakfast and a practical conversation about strengthening school–university partnerships.

Hear about La Trobe’s evolving approach to professional experience, and explore how evidence-informed mentoring and coaching can support pre-service teachers, mentors and school communities.

Led by Dr Haili Hughes, Associate Dean Education Partnerships and Professional Practice, the discussion will also look at how professional experience can create lasting value for schools and contribute to the future of the teaching workforce.

Join us to share ideas and help shape the next phase of La Trobe’s partnerships with schools.

Register here: https://brnw.ch/21x6A6T

20/10/2026

Ready to explore what AI could do for your organisation?

Join Regional Development Australia Hume and La Trobe University here in Albury-Wodonga for a free, hands-on conference designed to help leaders and managers prepare their teams for the changing world of AI.

Take part in a live AI readiness assessment, hear local business case studies and explore practical tools and techniques. You’ll leave with a clearer picture of your organisation’s AI readiness and a roadmap for what comes next.

📅 30 October, 9:30am - 3pm
🎟️ Free, but registration is required: https://brnw.ch/21x6yt0

20/10/2026

What can we learn when we bring different parts of our community together?

Our recent Community Conversation: Our Town brought together people from across community, health, local government and the University to explore new ways of responding to complex regional challenges.

In partnership with the Ovens Murray Public Health Unit, we heard from Oliver Charlton from Our Town and explored how systems thinking, stronger connections and community-led approaches can help create meaningful change.

The conversation challenged us to think differently, learn from what’s working elsewhere and consider the strengths and opportunities already within our own region.

14/10/2026

If you've ever looked in the mirror only to feel embarrassed or disappointed at the state of your teeth, it's likely some of the preventable issues stem back to how well your oral health was managed in childhood 🪥🦷

Cavities (or dental caries) are Australia’s most common chronic childhood disease — and if left untreated, they cause pain, can disrupt sleep, affect eating and learning, lead to hospitalisations and contribute to long-term health concerns well into adulthood.

Thee challenges of managing oral health can be amplified in rural and remote communities, where workforce shortages, travel distances and limited service availability can make accessing routine dental care more difficult.

For children already experiencing disadvantage - such as those in out-of-home care - these barriers can compound existing health inequities.

😁 The Protecting Smiles project, led La Trobe Violet Vines Marshman Centre for Rural Health Research, is collaborating with children and young people, their carers, practitioners and oral health services to find practical ways to address these barriers.

Funded by The Borrow Foundation, Protecting Smiles is based on a simple premise: when children experience trauma, moving between care placements and relying on multiple services, oral healthcare needs to be coordinated around their circumstances.

Learn more about how our researchers are working to improve the smiles of communities across Victoria 👇

For children and young people in out-of-home care, looking after their teeth is not always as simple as being told to brush twice a day. For one young person wh

13/10/2026

Associate Professor Erin Smith has been awarded a prestigious 2026 Tim Fischer Fellowship to develop an innovative education program that will help prepare future health professionals to respond to disasters and major emergencies in rural and regional communities.

Associate Professor Smith, Head of the Department of Rural Allied Health at La Trobe Rural Health School, is one of two Australians selected for the Fellowship, which recognises individuals with bold ideas to create lasting change in regional Australia.

The $50,000 Fellowship, awarded by the Country Education Foundation (CEF), will support the development of Rural Ready: Preparing the Next Generation of Rural Health Professionals for Disasters.

The project will expand an existing award-winning, game-based mass casualty simulation to include immersive rural disaster scenarios such as industrial incidents and severe weather events affecting rural hospitals.

Designed for students in paramedicine, nursing and allied health, the program will provide realistic but psychologically safe learning experiences that strengthen critical decision-making, communication, leadership, teamwork and disaster management skills before graduates enter the workforce.

Associate Professor Smith said rural health professionals often face unique challenges when responding to emergencies.

"Rural health professionals are often at the frontline when disasters strike, and they may be required to make complex decisions with limited resources and support," Associate Professor Smith said.

"By giving students the opportunity to experience realistic disaster scenarios before they enter the workforce, we can help build their confidence, strengthen teamwork across health disciplines and better prepare them to support rural communities when they need it most."

With more than 25 years' experience across higher education, research, disaster health and rural workforce development, Associate Professor Smith's work has focused on improving health, wellbeing and resilience in rural and regional communities.

The Fellowship-funded project will be embedded within programs at the La Trobe Rural Health School, with potential for the resources to be adapted and shared across other rural health education settings nationally.

07/10/2026

“I think I'd really love to work as a Paediatrician, especially in a regional area like Albury-Wodonga.”

Stella Feehan’s volunteering experiences at Albury Wodonga Health have helped bring that goal into focus.

She has volunteered in the fracture clinic and donated crocheted toys to the paediatric wards through her small business, Stella Bear Threads.

“Being able to be in an environment like the fracture clinic really gave a great look in at how health care clinics work & how hard working all the professionals are.”

“Donating toys to the paediatric ward has also been an incredibly rewarding experience. Getting to see the kids & also the nurses reactions to receiving the toys really meant a lot to me. I'm super grateful to have had some great experience at such a welcoming place.”

Stella’s interest in healthcare has grown from her longstanding passion for science and her experiences supporting family members through different health conditions.

“I've always been really interested in the sciences since I was in primary school. Throughout my childhood and teen years, I saw & supported multiple of my close family members through different health conditions which really inspired me to pursue a career where I could make a difference in people's lives.”

An open day in Year 10 introduced Stella to the Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Medical) - our rural medical pathway program.

“This course was introduced to me when I attended an open day in year 10 and it really just clicked with me.”

She has particularly enjoyed studying anatomy and physiology, and has found support from staff, lecturers and broader La Trobe services throughout her university experience.

“I've absolutely loved learning everything, especially anatomy & physiology. Understanding how the body works has been super interesting & fun.”

“I've found the staff really accommodating & the lecturers are always willing to help if I've got any issues with the coursework. The broader La Trobe services have also been fantastic & really helpful.”

Stella is also the recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s Excellence Scholarship (Aspire), which has supported her studies and university experience.

“I'm extremely grateful to have received the scholarship, it's allowed me to buy a new laptop among other things to help me with my university experience & life in general!”

Studying regionally has also helped Stella build meaningful connections within her community.

“The connection to community is amazing. I think sometimes when you go to the city, you just feel like a number, but living regionally is a completely different environment that's allowed me to make friends & connections with my community that I don't think you can get in metro locations.”

For students considering university, Stella’s advice is simple:
“I think the best piece of advice I can give is to just go for it. I really doubted myself & my ability to get into my course, especially because I'd come from a different path and had experienced some people doubting me aswell. Getting in really just showed me that it doesn't matter, as long as you apply yourself & give it your best, you can be happy with the result no matter what.”

05/10/2026

We often associate climate change with heat and drought.

But as the El Niño effect strengthens, Australian farming regions could also face increasingly severe and frequent frosts.

La Trobe's Professor in Plant Biology, Phil Brewer explains how frost can devastate crops — and what can be done to support Australian farmers.

Papua New Guinea’s frost disaster suggests heat and drought aren’t the only symptoms of a changing climate.

02/10/2026

New research shows most Australians are not prepared for the death of a loved one.

Researchers from La Trobe's Public Health Palliative Care Unit and the Death Literacy Institute surveyed more than 3,000 people to create a comprehensive view of the nation's understanding of death.

"Death happens to everyone but it's surprising how few people are actually prepared. About two-thirds of Australians haven’t discussed their end-of-life wishes with their families," said Dr Kerrie Noonan, Acting Head of La Trobe’s Public Health Palliative Care Unit and Director of the Death Literacy Institute.

The researchers have developed READYConnect, a new online tool to help people prepare better for end of life.

READYConnect provides a short digital quiz to assess a person's ‘death literacy’, providing personalised insights to help people start conversations with relatives and carers about dying.

Assess your own Death Literacy at: https://brnw.ch/21x66Et