Professor O’Riley is Professor of French and Italian. He is a scholar specializing in postcolonial theory, colonial history, and cinema. He is the author of three books end many articles and his work on cultural memory has been recognized by a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship at Harvard. His book, Cinema in an Age of Terror: North Africa, Victimization, and Colonial History was nominated for the Alf Andrew Heggoy book prize in History. He regularly teaches courses on French cinema as well as on the Mafia and Italian history. He sits on the review boards of over 40 presses and journals. Professor O’Riley is also a former professional cyclist and World Championship medalist.
The following is an article highlighting Professor O'Riley teaching French on the block plan: