Jo McDonald

Jo McDonald is a Professor and Director of the Centre for Rock Art Research + Management at the University of Western Australia. She holds the Rio Tinto Chair in Rock Art Studies and has been a leader in rock art research, particularly in Australia's Pilbara region and the Great Basin in the USA. Her work bridges Indigenous knowledge systems with scientific methods, focusing on rock art chronology, environmental change, and heritage management.

Research interests include rock art dating techniques, arid zone archaeology, Indigenous Australian heritage, and multidisciplinary approaches to cultural landscapes. She has led major ARC Linkage projects such as Dating Murujuga’s Dreaming and Desert to the Sea: Managing Rock Art, Country and Culture, emphasizing collaboration with Aboriginal communities.

• Director, Centre for Rock Art Research + Management
• Western Node Leader, ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories
• Member of Murujuga Heritage Committee and Stakeholder Reference Group
• Recipient of ARC Future Fellowship (2011-2016) and multiple ANSTO Grants

Her awards include ANSTO grants for radiocarbon dating research and leadership in heritage conservation. She co-hosted the Murujuga Cultural Landscapes Symposium at the ICOMOS General Assembly in 2023, advancing global discussions on World Heritage.

Teaching includes coordinating courses like Archaeology of Rock Art and Rock Art Field School. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to environmental protection and cultural preservation.