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Faculty/Staff Detail

Genevieve Birren

Genevieve Birren


Dr. Genevieve F.E. Birren, Esq. is a Professor in the Sport Management Department at SUNY Cortland. Prior to coming to Cortland, she was a Visiting Professor at the University of Memphis, interned in operations at Major League Soccer, worked in sports information at the Division I level, and was a legal research assistant. She primarily teaches undergraduate-level sport law, as well as graduate-level finance, international sport law, and research methods. She also oversees internships and projects for both graduate and undergraduate students. 

In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Dr. Birren served as the Department’s Graduate Coordinator and graduate student advisor from 2012-2019. She has served as the Faculty Senate Chair since 2020. She currently advises undergraduate students. She has also served as a member and chair of numerous department, school, and university committees. 

Dr. Birren has received a number of awards and honors during her academic career, including the Martin J. Greenberg Award for the Excellence in the Study of Sports Law and the Carl Scheer Award for Best Venue Paper while at Marquette Law School, where she served on the Law Review Board for two years. She is also a member of the Wisconsin State Bar and the Sport and Recreation Law Association.

Education

Ph.D. Health, Exercise, and Sports Science (focus Sport Administration) from the University of New Mexico in 2018.

Juris Doctor from Marquette University Law School (certificate earned in Sport Law) in 2004.

Master’s of Science in Sports Business (focus in Finance and Development) from New York University, 2006.

Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2001.

Teaching

Undergraduate courses taught

COR 101 - Introduction to Cortland
SAB 329 – Greece: Sport Industry, History & Culture
SPM 349 - Special Study: Sport Management
SPM 227 – Stadium and Arena Management (online and in-person)
SPM 255 – Event Management
SPM 275 – Foundations of Sport Management
SPM 373 – Sport Law and Organization (multiple sections many fall and spring semesters)
SPM 470 – Internship in Sport Management
SPM 499 – Special Study in Sport Management 

Graduate Courses

SAB 529 – Greece: Sport Industry, History & Culture
SAB 675 – International Internship-SPMG
SPM 615 – Topics in International Sport (online)
SPM 650 – Research Methods in Sports Management (online and in-person)
SPM 666 – Business and Finance of Sport (online and in-person)
SPM 668 – International Business and Finance of Sport
SPM 675 – International Sport Law
SPM 682 – Independent Study in Sport Management
SPM 685 – Internship/Master’s Project
SPM 686Masters Thesis

Publications

Peer Reviewed Articles

Fischer, K., Birren, G.F.E., & Lubisco, R. (2022). Sport management students’ perceptions of emergency remote teaching and online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Business Research Consortium Academy Journal of Education, 12(1), 129-159.

Birren, G.F.E. (2021). The Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act: The United States’ response to Russian doping scandal. Marquette Sports Law Review, 32(1), 241-258.

Lubisco, R., Birren, G.F.E., & Vooris, R. (2019). Examining job postings in sport management academia. Sport Management Education Journal, 13(2), 92-99.

Lubisco, R., Birren, G.F.E., & Alonso, F.A. (Nov/Dec 2018). The case of the rapping teen. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 89(6), 58-59.

Birren, G.F.E. & Schmitt, T. (2017). Mixed martial artists: Challenges to unionization. Marquette Sports Law Review. (Accepted).

Birren, G.F.E. & Lubisco, R. (2017). Whatever happened to the International Convention against Doping in Sport: The United States ratified it, but then what? DePaul Journal of Sport Law & Contemporary Issues, 13(1), 1-30

Lubisco, R. & Birren, G.F.E. (2017). The case of the iPhone. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 88(2), 59-60.

Lubisco, R. & Birren, G.F.E. (2017). The S.M.A.R.T strategy to recruiting and retaining high school coaches. Strategies, 30(1), 15-20.

Traschler, T. & Birren, G.F.E. (2015). Implications of drug testing cheerleaders. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 87(1), 21-24.

Lubisco, R. & Birren, G.F.E. (2015). Limits on schools’ ability to regulate off-campus student conduct. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 86(7), 46-47.

Birren, G.F.E. (2014). A brief history of sport labor stoppages. DePaul Journal of Sport Law & Contemporary Issues, 10(1), 1-29. 

Birren, G.F.E. and Fransen, J.C. (2008), The body and the law: How physiological and legal obstacles combine to create barriers to accurate drug testing. Marquette Sports Law Review, 19(1), 253-289.

Birren, G.F.E. (2006). Canada meets the U.S. on the legal playing field of multinational sports leagues. International Association of Sport Lawyers: Pandetkis, 6(3-4), 339-360.

Birren, G.F.E. (2004). NFL v. Sherman Act: How the NFL’s ban on public ownership violates the federal antitrust laws. Sport Lawyers Journal, 11(1), 121-139.

Book Chapters and Monographs

Birren, G.F.E. (2015). U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. In Sport leadership: A reference guide (Dodds, M. & Reese, J.T., Eds.). Santa Barbara, CA: Mission Bell Media.

Birren, G.F.E. (2015). World Anti-Doping Agency. In Sport leadership: A reference guide (Dodds, M. & Reese, J.T., Eds.). Santa Barbara, CA: Mission Bell Media.

Birren, G.F.E. (2012). NFL v. Sherman Act: How the NFL’s ban on public ownership violates the federal antitrust laws. In The business of sports (2nd ed.) (Rosner, S.R. & Shropshire, K.L., Eds.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Birren, G.F.E. (2011). Public/private facility financing. In Encyclopedia of Sports Management and Marketing (Swayne, L.E. and Dodds, M., Eds.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Birren, G.F.E. (2011). Ownership of professional sport teams. In Encyclopedia of Sports Management and Marketing (Swayne, L.E. and Dodds, M., Eds.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Service

Only current service is listed:

SUNY system-wide
SUNY Faculty Senate Governance Committee (2022 to present)

SUNY Cortland university-wide

Facilities Master Plan Update Committee (Spring 2022 to present)
Faculty Workload Study Working Group (2021 to present)
College Council (2021 to present)
Institutional Planning and Assessment Committee (2021 to present)
Faculty Senate Chair (2020 to present)
COVID-19 Coordinating Committee (2020 to present)
Resource Advisory Council (2020 to present)
Distinguished Professor Committee (2020 to present)
Distinguished Service Professor Committee (2020 to present)
Distinguished Teaching Professor Committee (2020 to present)
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities Committee (2020 to present)
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service Committee (2020 to present)
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service Committee (2022 to present)
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Committee (2020 to present)
College Handbook Committee (2019 to present)
College Appeals Committee (2019 to present)
Faculty Senate Steering Committee (2017 to present)
Graduate Faculty member (2017 to present)
Faculty Senate (2017 to present)
Academic Faculty Affairs Committee (2017 to 2019; 2021 to present)
Faculty Justice for the Student Conduct Office (2015 to present)
Center for Ethics, Peace and Social Justice (2013 to present)

SUNY Cortland School of Professional Studies

Curriculum Committee (2022 to present)
SUNY Cortland Sport Management Department
Scholarship Committee (2019 to present - chair)
Personnel Committee (2022 to present - chair)
Industry and Professional
Sport Management Education Journal, Editorial Board Member (2021 to present)
Women in Sport Law Association, Member (2020 to present)
Sport and Recreation Law Association, Member (2009 to present), served as Student Representative on Board in 2009 to 2010
Wisconsin State Bar, Member, 2004 to 2007, Inactive Member 2007-present