Ed. note: This post is part of the Spotlight on Commerce series highlighting members of the Department of Commerce and their contributions to the Open for Business Agenda

As the Regional Director of the Texas Regional Office of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), I lead the Texas Regional Office and engage in community outreach within my region. I carry out the strategic direction of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, Michelle K. Lee, and push innovation forward, continuing our ongoing efforts in supporting start-ups, small businesses, independent inventors, and entrepreneurs.

My ties to the region have always been strong and I will always consider it home. I grew up in Houston, Texas near NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Both of my parents were influential in shaping who I grew up to be. Before starting a family, my mother worked on the Apollo missions as a computer programmer and my father worked as a mechanical engineer in the oil and gas industry, before eventually owning his own business as an engineering consultant. Many of my school friends’ parents were astronauts, computer scientists, and engineers for NASA, and NASA had a profound effect in shaping my interest in science and my future career.

I stayed close to home and pursued my B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin and then graduated Cum Laude from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University. It was in law school that my passion for Intellectual Property (IP) really ignited. I am currently Chair-Elect of the State Bar of Texas – IP Section, and I will take over the section as Chair on June 17, 2016. The IP Section has over 2,000 members comprised of patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret attorneys and practitioners from across the State of Texas. 

Like Michelle K. Lee, I strongly believe in mentorship and helping others reach their full potential. Prior to serving as the Dallas Asian American Bar Association (DAABA) president, I was a law student mentor on behalf of the organization, mentoring Asian American law students at my alma mater. I have also served as a “Transition to Law” mentor with the Dallas Bar Association, mentoring recent graduates who were transitioning into the legal arena. Today, I can proudly say that I have the distinct honor of being named a recipient of DCEO and Association of Corporate Counsel’s Champion of Diversity Award, as well as having been selected as one of DCEO’s “500 Most Powerful Business Leaders.”

My heritage remains very important to me and Asian America Heritage Month is a time for me to remember the sacrifices my parents, and other immigrants like them, made so that I could be where I am today. Asian Americans share a tenacious work ethic that values a strong education, and America has the strongest education system in the world. I appreciate and applaud their sacrifices so that I can have a great life and education in the United States. My mother came to the United States as a child and only had two pairs of clothes to wear, and my father travelled across the ocean for a month with only $100 in his pocket. Asian America Heritage Month also provides an opportunity for me to celebrate my heritage and give back to the community. While there are many cultural events in the DFW area, I try to attend the Annual Dragon Boat race and festivals in the area. DAABA will often staff Legal Lines, a free legal hotline, and if I can, I try to support the event.

My current role at the USPTO is the perfect culmination of my interest in law, IP, mentorship and being a champion of diversity. The USPTO is a great place for young women to work and have a career but it’s important to continue to engage young girls and women in STEM. The agency’s All in STEM initiative encourages women at all stages – from girls to entrepreneurs – to pursue STEM degrees and work in STEM careers for the benefit of our economy and society. I am proud of the work we do with local K-12 students and teachers to bring STEM alive in their classrooms as well as promote the pipeline of our future innovators, technologists, and USPTO employees. We have reached out to the local community and hired engineers, scientists, and other technologists to work in our office, and our leadership team here in the region alone is 50 percent women. This is a great place to be, and I am glad to play a part in helping serve our agency’s mission.