Before joining Olivet’s faculty in 2023, Joshua Riley taught English composition at Kankakee Community College from 2019 to 2023. In between KCC and Olivet, he worked as a Case Manager with Catholic Charities serving homeless families to find housing in Kankakee County. Prof. Riley has a Bachelor’s in English from Northern Illinois University, most of a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Master of Arts in English from Governor’s State University. His master’s thesis is titled, “Towards a Rhetoric of Artificial Intelligence: Read Through the Lens of Gender, Class, and Race.”
Professor Riley has also been the pastor of First Baptist Church of Kankakee since 2023. He has been married to his wife, Samantha, since 2006, and they have one daughter, Penelope, who attends Bishop McNamara Elementary school. The Riley family has two dogs Nova and Pluto. Professor Riley lives with his family in Momence where he grew up. Outside of class, you will find him reading the oldest books, and bothering librarians.
