The Chemistry Department remembered “one of its own”, holding a heart-felt memorial service on April 22 to honor the life and legacy of Professor Emeritus Dr. Munir who passed away on March 25, bringing together family, colleagues, students and others to pay tribute to his wonderful contributions and enduring impact.
Department head Dr. Shazma Azeem introduced the moving event, starting with a video highlighting Dr. Christy Munir’s life, professional journey and academic accomplishments. Others including Dr. Douglas Trimble (Vice Rector); Dr. Gloria Calib (Associate Vice Rector); Dr. Hassan Amir Shah (Dean of Natural Sciences); Dr. Kauser Abdulla Malik (Dean of Postgraduate Studies); and various others shared personal reflections celebrating his role as a mentor, educator and compassionate friend, noting that his life would continue to inspire others for generations to come.
Also, The Chemistry Department held its annual Lab Safety Workshop on April 28, with a view toward raising student awareness about essential safety protocols developed for laboratory environments. The first technical session involved seven speakers (Dr. Shazma Azeem, Dr. Mariya al Rashida, Dr. Muhammad Saeed Iqbal, Dr. Dildar Ahmed, Dr. Muhammad Abbas, Dr. Abdul Hafeez and Dr. Seemal Jelani), combining insightful presentations with hands-on training. This was followed by a second technical session focused on practical training in fire extinguisher use and first aid, provided by FCCU Health and Safety Officer Major Kanwal Arune Isaacs and Mr. Shahid Waheed from Rescue 1122.
The English Department’s “Writer’s Lounge” series continues to bring outstanding speakers to Forman. During this month that included a program on April 8 featuring Dr. Waseem Anwar (Director of Kinnaird College’s International Center for Pakistani Writing in English) and Nosheen Yousuf (English Instructor at Government College University in Faisalabad and columnist for Dawn and The Nation). Both Dr. Waseem and Nosheen served as editors for Transcultural Humanities in South Asia: Critical Essays on Literature and Culture (Routledge, 2022).
Also, the English Department’s Graduate Seminar Series hosted a talk on April 24 featuring Dr. Shahab Yar Khan, Associate Professor in the Department of Shakespearean Studies at the University of Sarajevo in Bosnia.
This was followed the next day by another talk as part of our English Department’s Graduate Seminar Series, this time on The Diversity of Sufi Literature in South Asia delivered by Dr. Waqas Sajjad, Assistant Professor at Beaconhouse University.
Raheel Iqbal, CEO of Game Storm Studios and Director of the OZI Group, led an interactive session for Computer Science students on April 9, drawing on his seventeen plus years working in game and applications development.
Our Visual Arts Department staged a wonderful Art Exhibit featuring student work as part of their Painting and Drawing classes (ARTS 111 and ARTS 102). This was the first student exhibit featured in the new Forman Art Gallery in the Jim Tebbe Campus Center and from my perspective the results were amazing.
The Geography Department organized a one-day trip to Kallar Kahar, the Katas Raj Temples, and the Khewra Salt Mines on April 12, providing opportunities to explore one of Pakistan’s unique physical, geological and cultural landscapes while also setting the stage for field-based learning.
Finally, a special thanks to Dr. Aneel Samuel who has provided dedicated service to the Forman College Urdu Department for the past fifteen years; he now moves to the University section of our institution where we expect his contributions will be equally significant. At the same time, we welcome Dr. Shahida Dilawar Shah, a prolific contributor to Urdu literature and the author of several books, as the new head of the College Urdu Department.
As College Vice Rector Dr. Ivan Suneel notes, “We express our deepest gratitude for Dr. Aneel Samuel’s commitment, leadership, and contributions over the years”. At the same time, “We are confident that Dr. Shahida will take the Department forward with vision and strength”.