<p>Marjorie Asmussen, a University of Georgia professor known for her work in population genetics, died in a cycling accident Monday. She was 54.</p><p>Asmussen came to UGA shortly after getting a doctorate in mathematical genetics from Stanford University.</p><p>During her nearly three decades at UGA, Asmussen made a name for herself in population genetics, where she used mathematical models to study phenomena such as natural selection and genetics. In 2002, she was one of four UGA professors awarded a fellowship into the American Academy for the Advancement of Science.</p><p>She also served as an associate editor of Genetics, the publication of the Bethesda, Md.-based Genetics Society of America.</p><p>We will all miss her unique personality and her professional acumen, said Wyatt Anderson, dean of UGAs Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.</p><p>Asmussen died Monday when her bicycle was hit by a pickup truck as she was riding in Oglethorpe County.</p><p>The driver, 69-year-old Dean Edgar Pierce of Winterville, was not injured in the wreck and no charges have been filed, police said. The accident remains under investigation.</p>
