Kathi Vidal is protecting America’s best ideas

Kathi Vidal ’90 grew up with an insatiable curiosity for just about everything, especially science, math and law.

She has cultivated all of those interests — as well as leadership skills — in her career as an electrical engineer and a patent / intellectual property attorney handling high-profile cases from medical devices and consumer products to leading-edge hardware and software.

Now the undersecretary for intellectual property at the U.S. Department of Commerce, she directs the Patent and Trademark Office, protecting and encouraging the ingenious ideas of American inventors and entrepreneurs. The Patent Office employs more than 13,000 patent examiners, trademark attorneys, computer scientists and administrative staff, with a projected budget of more than $4 billion for 2023.

Vidal enrolled at Binghamton University when she was just 16, after fulfilling all of her high school requirements and looking for further challenges. She followed her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with a master’s degree at Syracuse University in 1992 and worked for five years as a systems and software design engineer with General Electric. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1996.

Until she joined the Commerce Department earlier this year, she was the managing partner for law firm Winston & Strawn’s Silicon Valley office.

She embraces the chance to work for the public good: “There is no better feeling than knowing you can make a greater impact on behalf of this country and all our people,” Vidal says. “I have worked for years on making an impact for my clients, in the organizations where I have worked, for the underrepresented and underserved in my communities, and through mentoring programs.”

Question: What led you to Binghamton University as an undergraduate?

Answer: When my family returned to the U.S. after my father’s tour of duty in the Azores, my father retired from the Navy and worked for IBM in Owego. We lived in Apalachin, 12 miles from Binghamton.

At the time, I was 15 and had already taken all the science and math classes required for gradu-ating high school. Since nobody told me I should take one science class per year, I took chemistry, physics, biology and calculus in my early years because I was interested in all of them. As a result, there were few science and math classes left for me to take by the time I was 15.

I knew Binghamton was one of the top universities in the state and, as a state school, that it was affordable. I chose to apply to Binghamton, hoping that if I was accepted — and could get my driver’s license in time — my parents would let me attend even though I was too young to leave home and live in a dorm.

Q: How did you become interested in engineering? And why electrical engineering?

A: In high school, I was interested in every-thing, especially math, science and law. My guidance counselor encouraged me to pursue a career in engineering, noting the lack of women in STEM and the challenge of it all.

At the time, Binghamton did not have a four-year engineering degree program you could enter into as a freshman. So I picked the hardest math/science degree I could find — mathematical physics — which required higher-level math and physics.

As a sophomore, I found out that if I took a few engineering prep courses at another school, I could transfer into the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science. Again, I was told that electrical engineering was the hardest degree program to get into and had the toughest curriculum. Because I enjoyed all aspects of engineering, I gravitated to the most challenging areas of scholarship.

Q: What are some of your favorite memories of your time at Binghamton?

A: Many of my favorite memories are from my first year playing NCAA volleyball for Binghamton. I was 16 and thrilled to be touring the state and representing the school in competitions every weekend. Even with a tough academic schedule, we practiced as a team every night.

For me, “balance” has never meant including downtime in my routine, but instead rounding out my experiences with left- and right-brained activity as well as physical activity and challenges. When I worked hard in my classes, I couldn’t wait to get on the court. When I worked hard on the court and in the gym and was so sore I could barely walk, nothing was more satisfying than putting my feet up and delving into my coursework.

I enjoyed the “wins” we had with our volleyball team and the female camaraderie that was lacking in my engineering classes. I’ve always liked bonding with people with whom I share a common purpose more than engaging in small talk.

I also enjoyed the “wins” in my classwork, especially realizing that even when you think you are receiving a negative message, you need to ask about it and dig further into its meaning. That happened in two of my classes. In physics, I didn’t realize what it meant to be graded on a curve. When I received my first 60 out of 100 on a test, I spoke to my professor about getting extra help. It wasn’t until our meeting that I realized he had recognized me as a standout student in the class. To my surprise, he told me that he was planning to invite me to events with other professors. Had I not asked, I may have thought I was failing and needed to switch majors.

Q: After earning your master’s at Syracuse University, you worked in industry for several years. How did that experience shape your later career?

A: My experience at General Electric was unique, although I know that many others have also benefited from the same great opportunity.

GE had a number of excellent leadership programs under former CEO Jack Welch. Jack believed in the value of intensive leadership training for those who were called “Hi-Pots” (high-potential candidates), combined with immersive experiences in many of the company’s business sectors. GE had financial, manufacturing and engineering training programs.

I completed the company’s Edison Engineering Program. Through that program, I rotated every six months into a new business unit, playing a leadership role in each. On top of that, I worked every night with an Edison Engineering Program team on an “unsolvable” business or technical problem facing the company, producing a report each week. The experience taught me the value of teamwork and relying on others. It also taught me the value of hard work and humility, and how to lead through consensus and with good ideas as opposed to rote authority.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a law degree?

A: When I was 7 years old, living on a military base in the Panama Canal Zone, I wanted to be either a professional baseball player or a lawyer. I remember asking my mom to take me to the library. I was interested in either checking out law books so I could start reading cases — assuming that if I started then, I’d know all the law before I grew up — or getting a book on baseball. Of course, nobody told me that new legal cases are decided every day, so my plan was not so solid. Instead, I returned from the library with a book on Babe Ruth.

Likewise, in high school, I remember reading legal cases in my history class. I enjoyed them so much that I would read additional cases for extra credit.

When I worked at GE, part of our leader-ship training involved going back to basics to discover what we truly enjoyed. At the time, I was becoming an expert in the field of artificial intelligence, designing one of the country’s first AI fault-diagnostic systems for aircraft. I was pursuing an advanced degree in control systems and AI.

I realized that, as much as I liked digging deep, I enjoyed the steep part of the learning curve. That love of learning, combined with my enjoyment of the law, led me to where I am today.

Q: How did it feel to be asked to become the undersecretary of Commerce for intellectual property?

A: When I received the email from the White House asking to speak to me about the position in which I now serve, I was excited but reserved. Though I wanted to serve, I wanted to do so with only the country in mind and not because any industry or contingent lobbied on my behalf.

It is a testament to our system that all those with whom I spoke had the same interests in mind. They wanted to make sure I was open to hearing all sides and views, and that I would work to advance our intellectual property system so it worked for the good of the country — to create jobs and foster economic prosperity. I wake up early every day wanting to do just that.

Q: What do you see as the biggest challenges ahead for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office?

A: Time. I am confident we can incentivize more innovation, including in underrepresented communities, and bring more innovation to impact. We can do it in the U.S. and across the globe. We can teach everyone the value of IP and the role that patents, trademarks and copyrights play in job creation, economic prosperity and world problem-solving. But we need to do it quickly.

We can also surgically address any abuses of the IP system that we see while supporting individual inventors and startups. We can shape the IP system to adapt to new technologies and global challenges, while keeping the United States at the forefront of innovation. Again, we must feel urgency in doing so.

Q: Are there any lessons you learned at Binghamton that still resonate with you today?

A: First, ask. See opportunities, not barriers. When I was considering attending Binghamton, I didn’t look at any of the University’s materials to see if there were issues with me applying at age 16 before I would be graduating from high school. I was excited to start taking college-level math and science courses, and only saw opportunity. And I asked for that opportunity.

Second, nothing replaces hard work. In my first year playing varsity volleyball, I received the award for most improved player. I made the team not because I was good — I had only played one year in high school — but because I was scrappy and worked hard both at tryouts and during practices. What my coach saw in me was potential, not existing talent. The way I turned potential into talent was through hard work.

Lastly, nothing replaces the small things you and others can do to show people that you see their value. We have all benefited from those experiences, when people praise you — your character, your attributes or your work. Hold onto those accolades. Recall them when you are not at your most successful. And give that gift to others. Let them know how much you value them.