Marissa Alejandra Diaz was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Tech and Design at The University of Texas at El Paso. She earned her Master of Fine Arts at The University of California, Irvine in June 2019. After graduate school, Marissa also explored the world of architectural lighting where she was excited to see and learn how her theatrical training could be applied to other spaces. Marissa is passionate about the Hispanic culture she grew up in and adores working on shows that help tell their stories. Recent works and credits include La Traviata with El Paso Opera and Heroes and Saints with UTEP's Department of Theatre & Dance. Currently, she is working as a Visiting Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at El Paso while also supervising the lighting and sound shops. She is enthusiastic about giving back to her city and community in this role. Although new to teaching, her efforts earned her the 2022 URTA Excellence Award in Training for Lighting Design and Technology. When not designing lights, Marissa can be found spending quality time with her family and dogs (Hope, Mandalay, Lumito, & Lunita), supporting the Los Angeles Dodgers, and listening to Taylor Swift.
