Erin P. Riley

Dr. Erin P. Riley is a Professor and former Graduate Advisor in the Department of Anthropology at San Diego State University (SDSU), within the College of Arts and Letters. Her research focuses on ethnoprimatology, conservation biology, and human-primate interactions, particularly studying macaque species in Sulawesi, Indonesia, and Florida. She leads field projects examining primate behavioral flexibility in anthropogenic environments and advocates for interdisciplinary approaches to conservation.

Dr. Riley has extensive experience in Southeast Asia and North America, combining primatology with environmental anthropology. She emphasizes the importance of local communities in conservation efforts and has developed education programs for Indonesian schoolchildren. Her work bridges biological and cultural anthropology, addressing both ecological and social dimensions of human-primate coexistence.

She currently serves as Program Chair for the Anthropology and Environment section of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) and on the Conservation Committee of the American Society of Primatologists. Her research has advanced methodologies in qualitative data analysis and ethical field practices in primatology.