Ms. Marissa Zorola is a Principal Lecturer in Merchandising at UNT. As an undergraduate, Ms. Zorola had an interest in Product Development; however, as a graduate student, she discovered something she loved more than fashion, and that was teaching. Over 20 years with the Department of Merchandising and Digital Retailing, she has taught a wide breadth of courses including Introduction to Merchandising, Consumer Psychology, Textiles, Visual Merchandising, and more. What she loves most about teaching is the ability to make a difference in a person’s life and foster a love for lifelong learning. Her greatest reward as a teacher is learning alongside her students, and every day is an opportunity to learn from each other. She is the faculty leader for the Dallas Study Tour, co-leads the Europe Study Tour and has led the New York Study Tour and China - Hong Kong Study Tour in the past. Currently, Ms. Zorola also serves as the Merchandising Internship Coordinator, helping to develop industry connections to assist students in their own career and professional development.

Ms. Zorola's approach to teaching revolves around the practice of situated learning, which places students at the center of real-life, community-based environments. This approach to teaching allows for a diverse student body to better develop their knowledge and skills through observation and application. Ms. Zorola firmly believes that caring for students extends well beyond the classroom and learning is a social process applied via guest lecturers, internship opportunities, and study tour experiences. 

Recently, Ms. Zorola was chosen as the 2024 UNT Foundation Outstanding Lecturer, the highest honor for a professional faculty member at the Lecturer status. The award recognizes a faculty member who has made "outstanding and sustained contributions to scholarly-creative activity, teaching, and service and has served as an inspiration to the UNT community."  

Originally from San Antonio, Ms. Zorola has called North Texas home for the past 25 years. She is the proud mother of two boys, Gabriel and Isaac. Gabriel is a sophomore accounting major at UNT and Isaac is a sophomore at Guyer High School. In addition to spending time with her family, Ms. Zorola enjoys trail running and fitness in general. She is also a Disney enthusiast, believing in the same values Walt Disney held dear when he developed the Walt Disney Company: find a passion, build a dream around it, and work hard towards it. “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney.