Innovision Spring 2021

14 | INNOVISION MAGAZ INE SPRING 2021 | 15 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT FACULTY SPOTLIGHT Professor Kerri Cebula, J.D., is an Associate Professor in the Sport Management and Leadership Studies department. She holds a J.D. from Marquette University Law School, where she also earned the Certificate in Sports Law from the National Sports Law Institute of Marquette University Law School. In addition to being a lawyer, Professor Cebula does legal research, specializing in motorsports and the law, more specifically trade secrets and motorsports. Professor Cebula explains that trade secrets are not as crucial in the United States where prescribed ways are used to build and design a car. For example, an IndyCar runs on the same chassis with only two engine designers, Honda and Chevrolet, and the engines are made to regulations specified by a governing body. In contrast, trade secrets are extremely significant for Formula One (Formula 1), which is traditionally based in Europe but operates worldwide. In Formula 1, the cars are all very different. There are lawsuits against Ferrari for using an illegal engine part, and yet the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) said that it cannot be sure if the part is illegal. Usually when the FIA releases a penalty against a team, it draws out all the details of the engine, but Ferrari requested that this not be done since it is still using the engine and disclosure would provide its competitors with valuable information. This has been ongoing for a year. Another lawsuit this year accuses Racing Point Car of directly duplicating Mercedes. Several years ago, a similar scandal involved a mechanic with Ferrari who sold trade secrets to another team. He was prosecuted in Italy under corporate espionage and served time in prison. The situation is further complicated by the varying legal definitions and protections of trade secrets in different countries. The FIA is based in Paris and governed under Swiss law. While most Formula 1 teams are governed under United Kingdom of English law, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo are governed under Italian law. The commercial rights holder for Formula 1 is based in London, but Formula 1 races are held all over the world. Professor Cebula described this as “a real big mess.” When asked about the connection between sports and the law, Professor Cebula responds to students with an easy example, “If someone gets hit by a baseball, they can sue.” Another question subsequently asked by students pertains to the NBA playing in a bubble while NCAA does not. Professor Cebula explains “because the NBA is under labor law and the NCAA has no control over that.” Professor Cebula has always been a motorsport fan but her career path is in college athletics. She went back and forth from college athletics and law but eventually settled on law. Although it may seem unusual to focus on a sport that is not as popular in the United States as it is in the rest of the world, Professor Cebula is especially passionate about her work and research on motorsports. European motorsports, specifically, have caught her eye. The reason being that Formula 1 models are innovative, with cars differing from year to year, whereas NASCAR’s exterior design is always the same. Professor Cebula describes Formula 1 as “more glamorous.” Going back to trade secrets, in response to the hypothetical question, “If a racecar crashes and falls apart exposing the engine and interior design, what happens next?” Professor Cebula exclaimed that that scenario has happened before. Teams could potentially lose their secret, but it is not very common since people cannot see what is going on inside the engine. Again, it all depends on the country. Professor Cebula wants to thank the library for being very helpful with her research. PROFESSOR CEBULA Malissa Shachter is an alumna who recently graduated in the fall 2020 semester, with a major in marketing and a minor in economics. Malissa is the first in her family to major in business and she expressed her excitement. She stated that her favorite business class was Advertising Management with Dr. Kang, “although it was a three-hour class, I genuinely thought it would ruin my Mondays during my junior year, however Dr. Kang made the class fun and engaging and I really learned a lot.” Last spring semester when Kutztown classes were converted to online, many students struggled in the beginning and Malissa was no different. When asked what advice she would give to students taking classes remotely and struggling she said, “throughout college, I had been a straight A student, always eager to excel. Once the pandemic hit, however, it threw me off completely. My best advice MALISSA SHACHTER for students who are having trouble with online classes, is to not be too hard on yourself. The reason I failed that semester was because I had so many ideas of how to be a perfect student, and when I couldn’t measure up, I choked.” “My best advice for students who are having trouble with online classes, is to not be too hard on yourself.” She continued, “When you decide to say this may not be my best semester and that’s ok, you will prosper because the pressure of high performance no longer clouds your conscience, that happened to me. Enjoy your classes, pay attention and engage, always try your homework even if you’re not sure it’s correct, embrace the possibility of getting a B or C-of merely surviving! It sounds crazy to not strive for perfection, but always remember that you’re trying your best and that professors are more understanding than they appear, so ask for help because after all, we’re in a pandemic.”