Inventors, patent examiners, educators: The many careers at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

SUMMARY

Kathi Vidal is the director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property.

In this interview, she discusses her background as an electrical engineer and patent attorney; the many career opportunities the USPTO has to offer; how young people are natural entrepreneurs (think lemonade stand!) and what it was like growing up in a military family all over the world.

Directions: Watch the interview clip above and then answer the questions below.

News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

1. Who is Kathi Vidal?
2. What does Kathi Vidal do to help entrepreneurs?
3. What kind of jobs are available at the USPTO?
4. How does Kathi Vidal say coming from a military family helped her adapt to her role today?
5. What did Kathi Vidal’s teachers let her do that inspired her to “always take that next step”?

FOCUS QUESTIONS

What does Kathi Vidal say she thinks an entrepreneur is? What are the different roles she says are involved with being an entrepreneur?

Media literacy: What other kinds of jobs do you think entrepreneurs can do? Have you read or learned about any other famous inventors?

Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?

FOR MORE

What students can do:

From patent examiner to educator, hear Juan Valentin’s exciting career journey at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office:

Then find out more about invention by watching this video about 3D printing featuring Doug Scott, master invention educator.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/daily-news-lessons/2024/07/how-3d-printing-works-as-explained-by-this-high-school-invention-educator

Read this Student Voices piece from our Invention Education Collection to hear from one student inventor about how inventing is open to everyone and is rewarding for far more reasons than just building STEM skills.

This post was written by Gianfranco Beran, a senior at Amherst College, and an intern with PBS NewsHour Classroom, and edited by NewsHour’s Vic Pasquantonio.

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