Elizabeth (Lissy) Calienes, Ph.D.
Associate Instructional Professor - Department of Advertising
Office: 3108 Weimer
Phone: 352-273-3726
Email: calienes@ufl.edu
Elizabeth (Lissy) Calienes, Ph.D.
Associate Instructional Professor - Department of Advertising
Lissy is an accomplished creative strategist, visual communicator, and educator with a career spanning three decades in advertising, shopper marketing, graphic design, retail design, and film production. She holds a PhD emphasizing authenticity in communications and design, and a Master of Interior Design from the University of Florida, with her research focused on consumer engagement in retail settings.
Beginning with a BS in Advertising and Graphic Design from the University of Miami, Lissy has held leadership roles at prestigious agencies like Saatchi & Saatchi. Her strategic and creative expertise have supported global, regional, and national initiatives for leading companies including P&G, Coca-Cola and Toyota. Lissy's film work in the area of production design has earned accolades at the Sundance Film Festival among other international venues.
In her academic role, Lissy has contributed to undergraduate and graduate education in communications, including her directorship of the Professional Master's program at the University of Florida. Her teaching in advertising focuses on cultivating creative thinking, design and visual communication. She has also taught courses in shopper marketing, international advertising and mentored over 50 graduate student’s thesis projects in professional communication's areas related to her fields of expertise. Her scholarly work also delves into environmental design research, particularly within healthcare and higher education.
Lissy's breadth of skills encompasses multicultural and Hispanic advertising, creative strategy, design thinking, and branding. Her integrated approach to communication is underscored by her achievements in storytelling through film and a deep grasp of consumer and shopper psychology. As the co-founder of sak[relate], a shopper marketing and retail design consultancy, she leverages strategic insights to fuel creative and design initiatives. Understanding people is the driving force behind everything she does and translating insights into actionable solutions that connect on a deep human level is her passion.