Tarryl Janik
Welcome
Greetings Warhawks! My name is Terry Janik, and I began advising at the Academic Advising & Exploration Center in the Spring of 2025. In 2023 I completed a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and have spent seven years teaching anthropology at the undergraduate level. Prior to this I earned my M.S. in anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and my B.A. in philosophy with an emphasis in religious studies at the University of Wisconsin-Steven’s Point.
As a cultural anthropologist, my expertise is in the anthropology of shamanism, the anthropology of law, entheogenic sects and psychedelic religions in the United States, Indigenous studies, and the ethnology of the Guianas. My fieldwork is located in the jungle of Guyana South America and Orlando Florida. I recently co-published an edited volume entitled Sorcery in Amazonia: A Comparative Exploration of Magical Assault based on my Master's thesis which followed up on the important ethnographic work by my late and great mentor Neil L. Whitehead. My current research looks closely at how an ayahuasca church in Florida struggles to become a legally recognized church in the United States.
Outside of academia I am a Professional Snowboard Instructor at Wilmot and love to snowboard all over the Midwest and Colorado. I also enjoy paddleboarding, Onewheeling, and fly fishing.
My advice to new students is to follow your passion. Not knowing what that is as a new college student is quite normal. It is ok to not know what degree you want to pursue, but the process begins by completing your general degree requirements. As you do this, explore the UWW campus curriculum, there are so many great academic disciplines to inquire about and experience! Meet with professors and talk to them about their classes and research. Try a class that seems fascinating, or that might speak to your abilities, hobbies, or personal interests. And changing majors too is very normal. I began my undergraduate studies following my interest in Eastern philosophy, but after I took an anthropology class, I found my real academic passion and I have been chasing it ever since.