Dr. Anne M. Kozak is a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In this role, she works closely with USPTO leadership to help advance programs and initiatives across the agency.
Prior to joining the USPTO, Dr. Kozak worked at a startup company. She joined the USPTO in September 2014, became a Primary Patent Examiner in 2018, and was promoted to a Supervisory Patent Examiner in 2021. During Dr. Kozak’s tenure at the USPTO, she has served on career details in the Technology Center Quality Assurance Specialist shop and the Patent Training Academy. She is a member of the User Centered Design Council and a graduate of the Aspiring Managers Program, and she has participated for several years in the USPTO Mentoring and Career Coaching Programs. Dr. Kozak has been a long-time representative on the Board of Directors for the Patent and Trademark Office Society (PTOS), and she is Co-Chair of the PTOS Education Committee. She has helped develop and contribute to a variety of initiatives across the agency, including the recent Intellectual Property Champions Program and the Impact of Clear Prosecution training in the Patents organization.
Dr. Kozak received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from the University of California, Davis, and her doctorate in bioengineering from the University of Queensland in Australia. She has recently completed various certificates and courses in patents, copyrights, and leadership through programs offered by Harvard Law School and Harvard Kennedy School.