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Leadership Team

  • Dr. Judith Forney - Director, Research 
  • Dr. Jana Hawley - Dean, College of Merchandising, Hospitality and Tourism

Mission

  • Be a global thought leader in digital retailing and facilitate knowledge transfer to academic professionals, students, industry professionals and the general public.
  • Facilitate and conduct research, in collaboration with industry, in the field of global digital retailing and impacted consumer experiences, sharing findings with industry and academic professionals, via mediums such as journals and publications and with the public, through mediums such as events, workshops, digital platforms and news outlets.
  • Develop digital retailing talent through industry collaboration, exposure and event opportunities

Purpose

We provide research opportunities and experiences for UNT undergraduate, Masters and Doctoral students within the Digital Retailing, Consumer Experience, Merchandising, Hospitality and Tourism programs. We serve as the leading university in the US to facilitate collaboration with industry and other universities for Digital Retailing and Consumer Experience research, thought leadership, education, event experiences and talent success. We serve as the ‘face' and ‘evangelism' of Digital Retailing and Consumer Experience for UNT and the connection to the industry and community on the continually evolving science and dialog.Executive + Scholar Lecture Series promotes information sharing and professional development of students by bringing together leading industry and academic thought leaders
  • The Consumer Experience Symposium is an annual event where a panel of industry experts come together to present, discuss and debate a specific topic related to consumer experiences in digital environments
  • The Digital Retailing Undergraduate B.S. Degree, launched in 2012, is the first and only degree of its type in the U.S.
  • The Consumer Experience Management B.S. Degree, launched Spring 2018, is the first and only degree of its type in the U.S.
  • Digital Retailing majors have steadily increased year-over-year, with the largest classes to date in 2019
  • Over 350 students have graduated with the Digital Retailing Degree since 2012
  • Founding supporting companies of the Center include Pier 1 Imports, Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc., Signet Jewelers, JCPenney, Usability Sciences, Liquid Pixels and Rocket Red
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