It gives us great sadness to announce the passing of Professor Emerita Dr. Susan Rasmussen. Dr. Rasmussen served the University of Houston since 1990, teaching cultural anthropology and African Studies courses that drew on her thirty-five years of research in France and West Africa, until she retired in January 2025. Dr. Rasmussen taught hundreds, if not thousands, of students while at the University of Houton and published six books and over one hundred scholarly articles over the course of her vibrant research career. Her work centered on the nomadic Tuareg of West Africa, among whom Dr. Rasmussen lived in Mali and Niger, documenting and analyzing their practices of healing and oral traditions. Dr. Rasmussen saw the Anthropology program through many changes over the decades, and she will be remembered by her colleagues and students for her plucky spirit and her engaging stories about her rich fieldwork experiences.
Official obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/houstonchronicle/name/susan-rasmussen-obituary?id=58268377