Professor Colleen Chien Joins Obama White House OTSP

Professor Colleen Chien testifying before the House Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Wednesday, July 18, 2012.

Santa Clara University School of Law Associate Professor Colleen Chien has been selected to serve in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), as senior advisor for intellectual property and innovation to Todd Park, the U.S. chief technology officer. Chien will take a leave of absence from her teaching duties for at least a year to fulfill her new appointment, which begins Sept. 16.

In her new role, she will advise Park on issues related to intellectual property and innovation, as well as privacy, open government, and civil liberties. She will help ensure that OSTP can fulfill its missions to coordinate science and technology policy across the executive branch and to provide advice to the president on science and technology policy matters.

“We are extremely proud that the White House has recognized Professor Chien’s immense contributions to the field of patent and technology law,” said Lisa Kloppenberg, Dean of Santa Clara University School of Law. “She will be greatly missed in the classroom and on campus, but we are certain the nation will benefit from her service.”

Chien brings substantial technical and policy expertise to OSTP, as an internationally recognized expert in patent law. Chien was recently named one of the 50 most influential people in intellectual property worldwide by Managing IP magazine. She has testified before Congress, and has regularly provided comment and input to the Patent and Trademark Office, Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice. Prior to entering academia, Chien practiced law at Fenwick & West LLP in San Francisco, worked as a strategy consultant, and, while a Fulbright Scholar, as an investigative journalist.