The Queensland Government’s move to the new ‘Smart State’ image has not been at the expense of sunshine.

The Government is backing chemistry researchers at Central Queensland University (CQU) to develop plastic solar cells, which one day could be on the number plates which carry the Smart State motto.

Rockhampton's 10,000 STEPS program has come to the attention of one of Australia's keenest morning walkers - the Prime Minister.

The program, headquartered at CQU's School of Health and Human Performance and backed by Queensland Health, has been highlighted in a report prepared by an independent working group of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council.

CQU Rockhampton staff members are invited to attend an information session on productive diversity on Monday August 18 from 10 to 11am.

Manager of Community Outcomes, Multicultural Affairs Queensland, will be the keynote speaker at the function to be staged at the State Development Centre Level 1, Bolsover Street, Rockhampton.

Former champion powerlifter Peter Smith, the Rockhampton campus gym manager, was in a supporting role recently as coach of Gary Roberts (husband of CQU staffer Jenny) at the National Powerlifting Championships in Brisbane, For the record, Gary squatted 310kg, bench-pressed 170kg and dead-lifted 290kg for a total of 770kg. This gave him a second victory in the under-125kg division at national level.

CQU’s Faculty of Business & Law entered a team in the postgraduate section of the Boston Consulting Group Business Challenge held in Brisbane recently.

The team of Sue Christensen (MBA student); Mohammed al-Hawari (PhD student); Gemma Clissold (PhD student); and Nicole Hafey (PhD student) were accompanied by Philip Bell from the student services section.

CQU is a big university but flexible to get into, with positive study experiences and good job outcomes.

That is according to the Good Universities Guide released this week (Tuesday, July 29), which gives CQU seven 5-star ratings, the most top ratings of any regional university in Australia.

Queensland Alumina Limited is offering a $5000 scholarship for a first year student at Central Queensland University. The QAL scholar will receive $5000 per year for the duration of their undergraduate study subject to continued satisfactory academic performance.

Acclaimed jazz/blues vocalist Grace Knight is coming back to Rockhampton as a headline act for this year’s CQ Multicultural Fair and CQU Open Day where she will perform with the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music’s Big Band.

Grace has just ended a hugely successful Queensland-wide tour with the band and special guests vocalist Sharny Russell and trumpeter Don Rader.

Legends of the Red Heart .

By Shirley Brown .

Jesus Christ tapped into the spirit of his time and a new production of the Jesus Christ Superstar musical aims to do the same via a youth-culture spin.

Funky street gear will replace flowing robes for the production due at Rockhampton's Pilbeam Theatre on a Friday and Saturday next month (September 12 and 13).