Lissa is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Dayton School of Business Administration, where she teaches Digital and Omni-Channel Marketing, New Product Development, and Social Media Marketing in both undergraduate and MBA programs. She is the faculty advisor for the Marketing Club and Women in Business and serves as the Professional Faculty Representative to the Academic Senate as well as serves on the Faculty Affairs Committee.
Her teaching emphasizes experiential learning, connecting students with real-world companies, nonprofit partners, and guest speakers. Global education is another hallmark of her work. Lissa has led multiple study abroad programs in Spain and Ireland that integrates company work, cultural immersion, and global business exposure. Her study abroad experiences are known for moving beyond the classroom, giving students meaningful opportunities to engage with international businesses (Google, Pinterest, and others), media organizations, and community partners. She has led study abroad programs in Spain and Ireland and is serving again in Ireland in 2026 as well as introducing a new internship program for UD students in Ireland, integrating company projects and cultural immersion.
She is also a sought-after consultant and coach with Blue Engine Collaborative, supporting Meta and Google News Initiative programs around the world. Her work has taken her across the United States, Brazil, Germany, France, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, Italy, Belgium, and more. Lissa regularly helps startups, nonprofits, news publishers, and e-commerce companies build digital strategies that grow revenue and audiences. In addition, she works with EverScholar, a global lifelong learning organization that creates immersive programs centered on history, politics, philosophy, culture, and ideas.
Her entrepreneurial spirit carries into her own initiatives as well. Lissa created Big Rocks of Life, a personal and professional development platform built around helping people prioritize what matters most. She is a keynote speaker for corporate and community events on the topic of Women in Leadership, Marketing, Customer Experience, and Personal Development. At the University of Dayton Center for Leadership, she facilitates professional development programs, including Big Rocks of Life®, The Power of Purpose, Career Reinvention for Women Leaders, Marketing Day for Emerging Leaders, and Leading Change at the First Level.
Lissa’s commitment to her community includes having served on the Boards of Trustees for Clothes That Work and The Human Race Theatre Company. She has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Women of Impact by the Women in Business Network, a distinction honoring leaders who make significant contributions to business and community life.
She is currently completing her PhD in Educational Leadership at the University of Dayton. Her research explores the role of faculty-led networking, guest speakers, and project-based learning in shaping student success, confidence, leadership development, and early career outcomes. Her work blends her personal journey, rising from a latchkey kid without a built-in network to a C-suite executive, with her belief that higher education can be a powerful equalizer when students are connected to real opportunities and industry mentors.