His areas of expertise include analytic philosophy, phenomenology and philosophy of science. His recent research has been focused on the use of film in teaching philosophy, with forthcoming publications on the philosophy of Steven Spielberg and the teaching of ethics through film. Riley teaches introductory philosophy courses, courses in ethics, philosophy of mind, The Matrix, and contemporary philosophy. An amateur musician, Riley holds a bachelor of arts degree from Creighton College, a Ph.L. from Catholic College of Louvain and a Ph.D. from the College of Iowa.