Marjorie Asmussen, 54, a UGA professor known for her work in population genetics, died Jan. 19 in a bicycling accident.
Asmussen came to UGA after getting her Ph.D. in mathematical genetics at Stanford University. She first worked as an assistant professor in mathematics and zoology, but shifted her focus to genetics. In nearly three decades at UGA, she made a name for herself in population genetics, using mathematical models to study phenomena such as natural selection.
In 2002, she was one of four UGA professors to be named Fellows of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science.
She was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa and served as the editor of Genetics, the signature research publication in the field.