Dr. Riza's Ph.D specialization was in Optical Systems, where he introduced novel optical processors for phased array radar control and spectrum analysis. After completing his Ph.D in 1989, Dr. Riza joined the Optoelectronic Applications Program at General Electric Corporate Research and Development (GE-CRD) in Schenectady, New York, where he initiated and led the GE Optically Controlled Radar Project. In Spring 1995, Dr. Riza joined the Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL) at the University of Central Florida-Orlando as an Associate Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering. In 2001, Dr. Riza was promoted to Full Professor of Optics and Electrical Engineering. Dr. Riza leads CREOL's first Photonic Information Processing Systems Laboratory which conducts applied research in the field of information and optics.

Riza's technical contributions are described in over 100 international journal articles, 130 conference papers and 35 patents that include works in photonic control systems for phased arrays, liquid crystal devices, acousto-optic signal processing, optical communications, photonic switching, fiber optics, sensors, and interferometry.

Riza received the IIT Alumni Association Academic Achievement Award in 1984, the International Society of Optical Engineering (SPIE) Student Award in 1988, the GE-CRD New Start Award for Innovative Research in 1990, and the GE Gold Patent Medal in 1995. Riza has served in various capacities (Co-Chair, Committee Member, Session Chair) for various SPIE and IEEE International Conferences on Photonics. He has also served as an expert panel member for various organizations that include OIDA, NIST, ONR, and NSF. From 1996 to 2002, he served as the Chairman of the IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society (LEOS) Orlando Chapter, and as advisor to the UCF LEOS Student Chapter. From 2002 to 2005, he was the Vice President of IEEE-LEOS. Riza is the SPIE Milestone Series Editor for the Volume Selected Papers on Photonic Control Systems for Phased Array Antennas. and Co-Editor for the SPIE Milestone Series Volume on Analog Fiber-Optic Links. Riza is a 1998 Fellow of the Optical Society of America (OSA) and 1998 Fellow of the International Society of Optical Engineering (SPIE).

Riza is the Winner of the 2001 International ICO Prize from the International Commission for Optics (ICO) & 2001 Ernst Abbe Medal from the Carl Zeiss Foundation, Germany. Riza received a 2007 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow award.