Binghamton University Grad Selected To Lead Federal Agency
Kathi Vidal is a Binghamton University graduate and she's just been selected by President Joe Biden as the new Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property.
Kathi Vidal received her B.S. from Binghamton University in 1990 and an M.S. in electrical engineering from Syracuse University in 1992. In a statement by the White House, they said that Vidal is "one of the leading intellectual property lawyers in the country."
Kathi Vidal Confirmed As Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office
Vidal was confirmed by Senate voice vote on Tuesday, April 5. She is the second woman to hold both roles. She is also the first Senate-confirmed director since the US Supreme Court ruled that the patent office leader can overturn decisions of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.
As the new director, Vidal will lead the USPTO's employees (over 13,000) and its $4 billion budget. She will also be the principal advisor to President Biden and his administration through the Secretary of Commerce on all intellectual property policy matters.
One of Vidal's first orders of business as the PTO director will be reviewing recent PTAB decisions on patent validity and possibly past decisions too. She'll also have the chance to increase the number of women and minority patent attorneys a chance in patent tribunal appearances.
Kathi is a member of Fortune's Most Powerful Women and mentors women from underdeveloped countries through the State Department's mentorship program. We are Binghamton proud of Kathi, and good luck.
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