Joan Rea, professor emerita of Spanish and Portuguese at Rice University in Houston, Texas, passed away on January 19. She was 95 years old.
In 1968, Dr. Rea began her tenure at Rice, where she taught courses and conducted research on Latin American literature and culture for more than three decades. During this time, she helped to develop the university’s study abroad program in Santiago, Chile. She also had a stint as the first woman faculty magister at Wiess College. Prior to joining the Rice faculty, she taught at the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Houston, Texas Southern University, and Bellaire High School.
Dr. Rea held a bachelor’s degree from New York University, a master’s degree from the University of Houston, and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
I remember Joan as a lively, engaged, friendly, up-beat colleague, who loved her subject, her students and residents at Weiss College, and Rice. Such a positive and generous presence in our midst.