With Under Secretary of Commerce and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Kathy Vidal stepping down from her position, what will happen in the USPTO during the upcoming term?  How does the USPTO respond to changes in technology, challenges of geopolitics, and aligning to WIPO, EUIPO, and other international offices?  Sharon Israel, Chief Policy Officer and Director for International Affairs, will join us to talk about her career and some of the USPTO’s international initiatives, including the Global Intellectual Property Academy (GIPA) and the IP Attache Program.  Ms. Israel holds a BS in electrical engineering from MIT and both a law degree and MBA from Emory University.  Past leadership roles include as president of AIPLA, president of the Honorable Nancy F. Atlas Intellectual Property American Inn of Court, president of the Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law, and on the Board of Governors for the Federal Circuit Bar Association.