Fiza Shahzad

Fiza is a first-year Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of History at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests encompass the intersection of Islam in South Asia, women’s histories, and legal histories. Currently, she is investigating disinheritance practices affecting Muslim women in Punjab during the precolonial and colonial time periods.

Fiza graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (Honors) from Georgetown University, where she conducted undergraduate research on the impact of colonial legal systems on women in the Khoja Muslim community. She also holds certificates in Gender & Politics and Arab & Regional Studies from Georgetown. Her academic journey continued with a Master of Arts in History from Tufts University, where she focused on public perceptions versus legal practices surrounding inheritance laws for Muslim women. For her research, Fiza analyzed various court documents and Urdu women's magazines. Her M.A. dissertation, "Public Perception vs. Practice: Tracing Muslim Women's (Dis)Inheritance in Punjab, 1526-Present," was awarded high honors.

In addition to her academic pursuits, Fiza serves as the Director of Financial Reporting for the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA), where she manages and analyzes financial reports to ensure the organization’s fiscal health, transparency, and accountability. She is also involved in a collaborative project at Princeton University as the Assistant for South Asian Collections, helping to establish a new archive of Pakistani film ephemera, which contributes to the preservation and accessibility of South Asian cultural heritage.

Advisor: Ramya Sreenivasan