Staff Report
A faculty member of the University of the Punjab has earned international recognition for her academic work, bringing laurels to the institution through her research presentations and scholarly engagements across the United States and the United Kingdom.
Dr Amna Umer Cheema, Associate Professor of English, is currently pursuing her postdoctoral research at the University of Sheffield, where she is affiliated with its School of English. During this period, she has actively participated in a number of prestigious international conferences, presenting her research in the fields of English literature and interdisciplinary studies.
In March this year, Dr Cheema presented a paper titled “Elizabeth Bishop: Arkiving ‘Gestational Waters’ in Foster Letters” at the “American Poetry” symposium held in Salem, Massachusetts.
The event was jointly organised by the American Literature Association and the Society for the Study of American Poetry, and brought together leading scholars from around the world working on American poetry and literary studies.
During her stay in the United States, she also conducted archival research at the Houghton Library, Harvard University, where she examined materials housed in “The Library of Elizabeth Bishop”, a significant collection for scholars studying the renowned American poet.
Continuing her academic engagements, Dr Cheema presented another research paper titled “How does Elizabeth Bishop think Blue:
A Hydrocene Reading of ‘The Map’” at the 21st Annual Conference of the British Society for Literature and Science, held at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland in April.
In the same month, she also participated in the annual conference of the British Association for American Studies, hosted by the University of Glasgow, where she presented her paper “Arkiving Imaginaries in Bishop-Foster Letters” at a panel titled “Embodied Literatures”.
Beyond her academic pursuits, Dr Cheema is also engaged in philanthropic activities. She is a life member of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society and contributes to social welfare initiatives through her involvement with the women’s complex committee of Daar-ul-Shafqat, which operates under the Anjuman-e-Himayat-e-Islam.
Her continued scholarly contributions and international academic presence are being seen as a significant achievement for Punjab University, highlighting the growing global footprint of Pakistani researchers in the humanities.
