Dr. Shatha Al Odat is a Jordanian–Australian researcher whose work integrates heritage studies, architecture, and anthropology, closely aligning with CBRL’s research themes on the heritage, societies, and cultures of the Levant, as well as migration, displacement, diaspora, resilience, and sustainability. She completed her PhD at the School of Architecture, Design and Planning at The University of Queensland in 2025.
Her research examines how Syrian refugees in Jordan sustain and adapt their cultural heritage in contexts of displacement through participatory and ethnographic methodologies, including interviews, participant observation, guided walks, and behavioural mapping informed by an architectural and spatial perspective. Grounded in place-attachment theory, her work explores how everyday spatial practices shape relationships between tangible environments and intangible cultural heritage, highlighting processes of cultural continuity and resilience within evolving urban contexts.
Shatha’s current research interests focus on foregrounding local knowledge and lived experience within digitally enabled heritage practices, supported by her understanding of Jordan’s heritage management frameworks and institutional landscape, alongside the use of digital documentation and emerging technologies. Alongside her academic work, she is also interested in drone photography, freehand sketching, and oil painting.
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