C. Ray Brassieur, Ph.D.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology

Brassieur’s professional experiences in the study of culture began during the mid-1970s as a field archaeologist in southwest Louisiana.  By the late 1970s, his interests turned toward the study of ethnography and folklife. During the 1980s, Brassieur served as curator of the Acadian House Museum in St. Martinville (1981-1983); supervisor of the Folklife Pavilion at the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition; coordinator of projects at NSU’s Center for Traditional Louisiana Boat Building (1985-86); and programmer of folk performances for the Jean Lafitte National Park (1986-88). In 1988, Brassieur moved to Columbia, Missouri to serve as program coordinator for the MU Cultural Heritage Center. In 1992, he served as field coordinator for the Maine Acadian Cultural Survey, sponsored by the National Park Service. In 1993, Brassieur was became the first director of the State Historical Society of Missouri Oral History Program. In 1996, he served as president of the Missouri Folklore Society. In the fall of 1999, Brassieur returned to Louisiana to serve as Louisiana Regional Folklorist for the New Orleans region. While there, Brassieur taught seminars on cultural heritage conservation at UNO. He served as president of the Louisiana Folklore Society in 2001-2002. In August of 2001 Brassieur accepted his current academic appointment at the University of Louisiana. In 2007, he co-authored a book with Greg Guirard entitled, Inherit the Atchafalaya.