Our new Director of Academic Assessment, Stephen Riley (Ph.D., Southern Methodist University, 2015) arrives at DU after eleven years of teaching religious studies in Idaho, with research expertise in ancient Hebrew linguistics and rhetorical interpretation of ancient Near Eastern sacred texts.
At his previous institution, Riley led the General Education Council as they revised and expanded the curriculum, including their intercultural capacities. Focusing on AAC&U VALUE rubrics, Riley and the council were able to improve student mastery in several areas of their general education programming. Riley also led assessment for the online graduate program in religion, helping reaffirm their accreditation status in the last mid-cycle review.
Riley is a former fellow at Eboo Patel’s Interfaith Youth Core Summer Faculty Institute focusing on interfaith leadership, and views listening and empathy as important for working with others in any situation. Dr. Riley notes, “Assessment, at its core, is the process of articulating what we want to accomplish and then figuring out ways to learn from our journey toward accomplishing our goals.”
When not working, you can find Stephen enjoying a cinnamon vanilla latte, learning to play guitar, woodworking, practicing card illusions, listening to 80’s hard rock, or relaxing at home with his family.