Dr Riley is a nominee for NSW Senior Australian of the Year.

She's up against Former Magistrate and Senior Judge of the Drug Court of NSW Roger Dive, World War II veteran and fundraiser for veterans Sergeant Bert Le-Merton and Islamic Women's Welfare Association president Abla Kadous.

Dr Riley is an academic and education trailblazer.

She has been pivotal in Aboriginal education policy and has changed the way Aboriginal studies is taught across the state.

Dr Riley has raised seven children and completed her PhD in her sixties, while experiencing her third episode of breast cancer.

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Originally from Dubbo, she has always stayed true to her Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi heritage which has shaped her as an educator. Her groundbreaking work to incorporate Aboriginal perspectives in the study of humanities has changed many people's understanding of Aboriginal worldviews.

Dr Riley is an expert in translating research findings to deliver practical, positive change for Aboriginal people. These include a community profiling tool to identify needs in western NSW and a training tool to analyse resources for cultural bias.

A founding member of the NSW Department of Education's Aboriginal Education Unit, the 65-year-old currently advises on research design and conducts data collection with Aboriginal staff and families.

In 2021, Dr Riley was named as the NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year.