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Erin Frias

Academic Interests: Cultural anthropology of Latin America, Indigenous studies, language, ecology, religion, medical anthropology, African Diaspora, colonialism and peasant communities

Status: MA

Previous Degrees: BA with Honors distinction (2011) University of Nevada, Reno

Contact Information: efrias3223@gmail.com

Biography: Erin is a first year master’s student researching the different uses of a natural medicine found in the Amazon regions of South America. Her undergraduate Honors Thesis examined the discourse of an online forum community centered on an entheogenic medicine called ayahuasca. She explored how globalization and the World Wide Web have contributed to the spread of ayahuasca to mainstream society where spiritual discourse and alternative medicinal practices are re-contextualized to fit within the domain of contemporary ayahuasca use. Her future research will concentrate on the religious uses of ayahuasca by the Santo Daime and União do Vegetal churches in Brazil.

Erin is a recipient of the 2010 Splatt Scholarship, 2010 General Undergraduate Research Award, and the Southern California Alumni Scholarship. She is currently a teaching assistant for ANTH 101 and Vice President of Bate Papo: Brazilian language and culture club recognized by the Graduate Student Association.