Dr. Riel is the Director of the Center for Collaborative Action Research which publishes action research projects from Pepperdine University. At the Center, she has created a set of online tutorials for learning how to engage in action research which is used in 180 countries. Dr. Riel was a co-founder of the Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA) and was on the ARNA Executive board from 2012- 2016. Since 2016 she has facilitated one of ARNA’s Action Research Community focused on Supporting the Teaching of Action research (STAR). She recently co-edited the Palgrave International Handbook on Action Research and is an active member (and past chair) of the AERA SIG in Action Research. She has been on the advisory board of the Social Publishing Foundation from its inception. Her second and linked focus is on global education. She serves on the Board of Directors of the International Education and Resource Network (iEARN), an organization that empowers school students around the world to collaboratively solve global, social and environmental challenges. She has been involved with iEARN since 1995 when she moved her model of collaborative work called Global Learning Circles to iEARN. Learning Circles is currently used by thousands of students working together from around the globe each year. Her research interests focus on collaboration and the use of technology for social change.