Uzma Z Rizvi

Uzma Z. Rizvi is a Professor of Anthropological Archaeology at Pratt Institute, affiliated with the School of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the Department of Social Science and Cultural Studies. She holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania and a postdoctoral fellowship from Stanford University. Her research focuses on decolonizing methodologies, ancient urbanism, and critical heritage studies, with a regional emphasis on South Asia and Pakistan.

Dr. Rizvi leads the Laboratory for Integrated Archaeological Visualization and Heritage (LIAVH.org), an interdisciplinary initiative combining archaeological research with digital visualization and heritage practice. She currently directs excavations at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mohenjo-Daro, Pakistan, exploring sustainable building techniques through mudbrick experimentation and 3D printing. She is also President of Pratt's Academic Senate.

Her work bridges archaeology with philosophy, art, and design, emphasizing ethical decolonial praxis. Key publications include Archaeology and the Postcolonial Critique (2008), Connections and Complexity (2013), and The Routledge Handbook on Decolonizing Heritage (2023). Recent research highlights include speculative approaches to decolonial archaeology and participatory heritage projects in Pakistan and the UAE.

Dr. Rizvi's grants and collaborations span transdisciplinary projects with global institutions, focusing on material culture, community engagement, and archaeological ethics. Her lab's innovative work on sustainable building materials at Mohenjo-Daro exemplifies her commitment to integrating ancient and contemporary technologies.