Rajat Ghosh: ‘Philly’s like a playground,’ says Canadian-born UPenn breast cancer researcher

Rajat Ghosh got his PhD in quantum physics. But he’s not spending spending his days pondering theoretical abstractions. Instead, he’s found a very practical and important application of his work: early detection of breast cancer.

On any given day, Rajat may find himself programming MRI machines in C, tangling with string theory equations, or using nitrous oxide and a blowtorch to pressurize liquids. Thanks to his physics research, the signal strength of MRI scanners can be boosted by a factor of a million – though only for a short amount of time.

The diversity Rajat loves in his work is also what he loves about Philly.

Since moving last August, the Penn researcher has joined the Capoeira community (a Brazilian martial art set to music), found a core group of friends through the Network of Indian Professionals and attended many Fourth Wall Arts salons. [Full Disclosure: This author is a board member of Network of Indian Professionals.]

Read on to see why this Canadian-born researcher moved to Philadelphia, and what restaurants the former bartender and self-proclaimed foodie enjoys.

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‘We feel like part of the community:’ two sustainable-minded mobile developers choose Philly over Portland

Another in the Entrance Exam series, as part of the Why I Love Philly campaign from Young Involved Philadelphia and Indy Hall. Tell the world why you love where you live by tweeting #whyilovephilly.

Whether hiking, cooking, or developing mobile apps, Jason Cox and Corey Leigh Latislaw live life with a sustainable, do-it-yourself mentality.

After their recent wedding in Hot Springs, North Carolina, the two jumped in the nearby French Broad River for a no-holds-barred trash the dress/suit session. But rather than toss the dirty garments, they re-used them as Halloween costumes – zombie bride and groom. The dress was then dry cleaned and cut down for use as a cocktail dress.

Jason is a Quality Assurance Engineer in the iPhone group at Oracle, and spends just as much energy trying to keep up with Corey. In addition to developing Android applications (such as the new Xfinity TV app) at Comcast Interactive Media, Corey also sits on the board of the Philadelphia chapter of Women in Cable Telecommunications and is organizing what will be a regular meetup of Android developers in Philadelphia, called the Android Alliance.

While they are planning for a honeymoon trekking through Europe in April, the couple is also in a honeymoon period with Philadelphia.

Coming from Knoxville – which has few options for software developers, the couple has found a home in our tech community. They’ve also wasted no time familiarizing themselves with the local farms and food options.

Below, the couple shares more of their adventures, in technology and out.

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Aaron Ogle: growing a family, a career and a better city in Philadelphia

Another in the Entrance Exam series, as part of the Why I Love Philly campaign from Young Involved Philadelphia and Indy Hall. Tell the world why you love where you live by tweeting #whyilovephilly.

Aaron Ogle says he’s committed to the idea that technology can change the world for the better.

While working at civic-friendly GIS firm Azavea, Ogle built Walkshed, which just might be the ultimate software tool for
Philly pedestrians. He decided to up the ante in 2011 and join the inaugural class of Code for America fellows.

As a part of the Code for America team, Ogle will spend this year dedicated to the cause of creating applications around Philadelphia’s open data. The goal of this effort is to make government more transparent and government services more accessible.

Having spent his childhood in small town Ohio, Ogle appreciates Philadelphia both for its urban escapes along the Wissahickon and for its thriving arts and tech scenes. While understanding that there are very real challenges in Philadelphia that need to be addressed, Ogle sees the potential for greatness.

Below, Ogle talks about what brought him to Philadelphia and what will keep him here.

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Choosing Philly over Vienna: JavaScript experts Thomas Fuchs and Amy Hoy

Another in the Entrance Exam series, as part of the Why I Love Philly campaign from Young Involved Philadelphia and Indy Hall. Tell the world why you love where you live by tweeting #whyilovephilly.

People who specialize in JavaScript or front-end web development know Thomas Fuchs and Amy Hoy.

Thomas, born and raised in Vienna, created the script.aculo.us JavaScript library and was one of the core members of the Ruby on Rails development team. Amy Hoy, from Baltimore, is a web designer and Ruby on Rails expert,
known for her humorous and understandable way of explaining difficult concepts.

Together, they create slick web products (including time management software Freckle), run the always sold out JavaScript master class, and consult on various projects. This is also the pair behind the always viral Twistori display of emotional tweets on Twitter.

Recently, this internationally known and well-traveled couple decided to move from Vienna, Austria to Philadelphia.

Frustrated by Vienna’s lack of a supportive tech community, they decided they could be more creative and productive in Philadelphia. The couple is still in transition — spending a few months in Philly, then a few months in Vienna. They plan to be in Philadelphia full-time by the end of the year.

Comparing Philadelphia favorably to other cities in terms of green spaces, friendly people, and general optimism may seem unique, but the pair might suggest that people’s perceptions of Philadelphia are changing for the better.

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Jake and Amanda Feifer O’Brien call Philadelphia gritty, challenging, and home

Another in the Entrance Exam series, as part of the Why I Love Philly campaign from Young Involved Philadelphia and Indy Hall. Tell the world why you love where you live by tweeting #whyilovephilly.

Tonight at National Mechanics in Old City is the campaign’s kickoff event from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. RSVP here.

How did a girl from Michigan and a guy from California end up living in the Italian Market?

I met Jake (@flailmonger) and Amanda Feifer O’ Brien (@forkspoonknife) in early 2007, soon after they moved to Philadelphia. We were enrolled in a continuing education class called Center City Savvy. The class was epic – our persistent teacher managed to secure us private audiences with the Secret Service, Le Beq Fin chefs, and Mayor Nutter, among others.

Four years later, Jake and Amanda could lead their own tour.

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