Susan M. Deeds – In Memoriam

Susan M. Deeds – In Memoriam

Susan M. Deeds embodied the best of what an academic could be: a rigorous scholar, a generous mentor, and a colleague whose warmth and wit enriched every gathering. Her nearly three decades of involvement with RMCLAS exemplified her deep commitment to fostering community and supporting emerging scholars, particularly women and graduate students navigating the challenges of academic life. As a pioneering historian of colonial Latin America and the first female president of RMCLAS, Susan brought both groundbreaking scholarship and unflinching honesty to her work.

She faced the demands of scholarship, teaching, and service with grace, even when admitting to the toll they took, and she never lost sight of what mattered most: her students. Susan’s legacy lives on in the countless students she mentored, the colleagues she inspired, and the welcoming, inclusive academic spaces she worked to create. Her RMCLAS 2009 keynote address, characteristically irreverent, self-aware, and threaded with the kind of humor that could only come from someone who truly understood both the absurdities and the profound rewards of academic life, stands as a testament to her singular voice.