Janet McDonald

Associate Professor Janet McDonald is affiliated with the School of Creative Arts at the University of Southern Queensland, specializing in Theatre Studies. She has held leadership roles, including Head of School (2008–2013) and Associate Head of Learning, Teaching, and Student Success (2019–2023). Her career includes over three decades of teaching and research in educational theatre and regional arts development.

Education:

• Diploma in Teaching (1987)
• Bachelor of Arts (QUT, 1992)
• Master of Arts (QUT, 1994)
• PhD (Arizona State University, 1999)

Research Interests: Embodiment in performance, arts education, queer pedagogy, and community arts. Her work emphasizes regional Queensland’s cultural landscape and youth engagement.

Recent Scholarship Trends: Focus on theatre pedagogy, arts integration in education, and cultural responses to war. Notable outputs include studies on youth theatre, performance training, and historical dramaturgy.

Awards:

• USQ Research Excellence Award (2020)
• USQ Excellence Award for Leadership in Learning and Teaching (2021)
• Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citation (2009)

Advising/Grants: Supervised over 15 doctoral students, focusing on themes like actor training, arts policy, and community resilience. Active in assessing grants for regional arts initiatives through Arts Queensland and Regional Arts Australia.

Labs/Teams: Board member of King’s College (St Lucia), former Chair of Youth Arts Queensland, and collaborator in projects like Cultural Catchments and Empire Youth Arts.