Alexis D. Riley, Ph.D. (she/her) is a teacher-educator, writer, and Stevie Wonder enthusiast. She is a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor at New York University-Steinhardt in the Teaching & Learning Department, in the Science Education Program. Originally from South Central Los Angeles, CA, Alexis earned her Ph.D. in Science Education from Teachers College, Columbia University in the Fall of 2021. She received her MS.Ed at Fordham University in 2013 and her B.A. in Sociology from the University of California - Santa Barbara in 2011. Alexis has been faculty at California State University - Los Angeles, Barnard College, and Relay Graduate School of Education as an Assistant Professor and Adjunct Assistant Professor, respectively.

Alexis has been in education since 2011, teaching social studies and science in Harlem for four years and then she taught 9th grade Physics for 5 years. Her experiences with culturally relevant pedagogy heavily influenced her teaching and vision for the classroom. Starting in 2019 Alexis became a school administrator, supporting science teachers and science coaches will build inclusive and academically rigorous classrooms. Alexis’ research has prioritized the legacy, innovations, and healing of Black women teachers by placing their instinctual and improvisational teaching skills at the center of science education.