From Robotics to AI to Patents: Engineering What Comes Next with Stephenie Serman
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Before artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and autonomous systems became part of everyday conversation, Burris Law patent agent Stephenie Serman was already working with many of those technologies as they advanced.
Her career has been shaped by being close to what was coming next. While working in Ford’s autonomous vehicle group, Stephenie saw how quickly AI and machine learning were developing — an experience that ultimately led her to pursue a master’s degree in robotics engineering and deepen her understanding of the technologies she wanted to work with and, eventually, help protect.
But for Stephenie, the technology itself is only part of what makes the work meaningful. Behind every invention is someone who has invested valuable time, energy, and significant resources into bringing an idea to life.
“The invention is their baby,” Stephenie said. “They’re trusting you to protect that baby, and that means a lot to me.”
Always Wanting to Know How Things Work
Stephenie’s path to engineering began with two things she had always enjoyed: math and figuring out how things worked.
“I loved math, and I was always interested in how things worked,” Stephenie said. “I enjoyed reading technical papers and learning about different technologies and how they were being developed. That’s what drew me to engineering.”
She earned her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Lawrence Technological University while working full time and gaining hands-on engineering experience. Her path later took her to Ford, where working around autonomous vehicle technology introduced her to the rapidly advancing worlds of AI, machine learning, and robotics.
“AI, robotics, and advanced machine learning were emerging, and I wanted to understand more about how all these technologies worked together,” she said.
To build that broader technical foundation, Stephenie pursued a master’s degree in Robotics Engineering at the University of Michigan. There, she worked on a virtual reality system that connected a virtual prosthesis to regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces (RPNIs) in a patient’s arm, allowing the user to control a virtual hand through thought alone.
“I particularly loved working with prostheses users and developing systems to improve their everyday lives,” Stephenie said. “We connected the virtual prosthesis to the RPNI’s in the patient’s arm, and they were able to control a virtual hand just with their thoughts like it was their actual hand. It was incredible.”
From Engineering Innovation to Protecting It
As a patent engineer in the automotive industry, Stephenie worked with legal and engineering teams, educated inventors about the patent process, led innovation sessions, reviewed invention proposals, and helped determine which technologies warranted patent protection.
After gaining patent-agent experience with an automotive supplier, Stephenie knew she wanted to deepen her patent drafting and prosecution skills. That led her back to someone she already knew. Stephenie’s connection to Burris Law began years earlier at Ford, where she worked with firm founder Kelly Burris as part of the company’s intellectual property work.
“Kelly had always been an inspiration to me,” Stephenie said. “After I finished my master’s, I was looking for a law firm where I could really develop my patent drafting and prosecution experience. I figured, why not reach out to Kelly and see if she was looking for a patent agent?”
Fortunately, she was. Stephenie joined Burris Law in 2023.
The Business Behind the Invention
Obtaining a patent is not simply a legal decision. It is a business decision, says Stephenie.
“You really have to think about the business case. Is this patent going to help their business? Is it something they can actively protect?” she said.
It is a perspective Stephenie developed as an engineer working inside businesses — and one she now brings to patent strategy. At Burris Law, her work also spans factory automation, automotive systems, mechanical inventions, and radar engineering.
One of Stephenie’s more rewarding moments thus far at Burris Law came while working with colleague Evan Sotiriou on a patent appeal. “I got to draft the appeal brief and then watch Evan take it and successfully argue it before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board,” Stephenie said. “That was a proud moment, especially being relatively young in my legal career.”
Engineering a Stronger Community
As Burris Law’s community outreach chair, Stephenie helps organize fundraisers, including a cereal drive that collected more than 250 boxes for local food banks last year between the Detroit and St. Louis offices.
Community service has long been important to Stephenie. She previously volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, helping rehabilitate Detroit-area homes and supporting local Habitat ReStores, and with the Westland Public Library, assisting with children’s educational and community activities.
For Stephenie, the motivation is personal. Growing up in Westland, she watched her parents make sacrifices to ensure she had opportunities even when money was tight. “I felt rich because we had love in abundance,” Stephenie said. “I could see my dad going without and my mom going without. I want to do what I can to help other people in the community not go without.”
Outside the office, Stephenie spends time with her husband and daughter and enjoys pottery; a creative outlet that she has found shares something with patent work: attention to detail.
“You can make a basic pottery piece, but when you start adding all of the little details that make it unique, that’s when the piece really comes to life,” Stephenie said. “Patent drafting and prosecution are similar. You can do a bare-bones application or response that basically covers something, but it’s the fine details that really bring it to life and give you the best protection.”