Tehmina Pirzada
Assistant Professor
Education
Ph.D. English (Theory and Cultural Studies), Purdue University
M.Phil. English, Kinnaird College for Women
M.A. English Language Teaching, Kinnaird College for Women
M.A. English, Kinnaird College for Women
Biography
Dr. Tehmina Pirzada began teaching at Bradley University in Fall 2025. At Bradley University she teaches global literatures, professional and technical writing, and interdisciplinary courses that explore the intersections of literature, culture, and health humanities. Prior to joining Bradley, Dr. Pirzada taught at Michigan State University and Texas A&M University at Qatar. Outside the classroom, she enjoys visiting museums, traveling, and volunteering with breast cancer advocacy groups.
Teaching
Dr. Pirzada teaches global literatures and professional and technical writing courses that emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to literature, culture, and communication. Her teaching encourages students to think critically about how narratives shape social understanding, particularly in areas such as global culture, identity, and health. She is particularly interested in helping students develop strong writing skills while engaging thoughtfully with contemporary global issues.
Scholarship
Dr. Pirzada’s research focuses on global Anglophone literature, visual culture, and the representation of gender, religion, and identity in South Asian and Middle Eastern cultural production. Her work explores Muslim girlhood, popular culture, graphic and medical narratives. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Postcolonial Writing, Children’s Literature Association Quarterly, Girlhood Studies, South Asian Review, and Boyhood Studies. Her research has been supported by grants and fellowships from the Fulbright Program, the Mellon Foundation, the German Foreign Ministry, and the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. She also has a forthcoming book on breast cancer survivorship in the academy.
In addition to her work on literature and visual narratives, Dr. Pirzada is currently developing projects on monstrosity, cultural memory, and the intersection of illness and global narrative(s).