Hello, and Welcome

My name is Ravi Patel, and that's me in the background. My family is originally from Punagam (Surat), Gujarat, India. Although I was born and raised in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, I've managed to keep a foot in the Indian culture. My Gujarati, even without any formal education, is very fluent. Although my reading and writing for Gujarati is a bit slow, it does suffice for the few instances I find use for it. I also have a good grasp of communicating in Hindi, in-part because I enjoy watching Bollywood movies and listening to their music. Growing up in Canada, I have a fair bit of French in me as well.

Education

On June 7, 2011, I graduated from Brock University with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Integrated Studies (Computer Science and Neuroscience). I was the recipient of the Distinguished Graduating Student Award for graduating with First-Class Honours and achieving the highest major average for the year. On Feburary 1, 2013, I was conferred a Master of Science in Computer Science and Engineering at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Neuroscience

I started my undergrad in Neuroscience, or as I like to say, the study of the biology of the brain and the psychology of the mind. Having taken numerous biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology courses, I can certainly attest to the quote, "the more you learn, the more you realize how little you know". The scope of neuroscience is immense, making it one of the most exciting fields of research today. One of the topics that had caught my eye at the time was Optogenetics, which uses optics to control specific events in targeted neurons.

Computer Science

I got into Computer Science simply by fate. In my second year of Neuroscience, I took some Computer Science courses as electives. To my surprise, I averaged a 94% in those courses. So, I decided to add Computer Science to my degree. Today, I have developed a wide range of computational skills that are useful in Artificial Intelligence, Computational Biology, Software Engineering, and Web Development - to name a few. I have substantial experience in the following programming languages: Ada 2005, C, C++, CSS, Java, Javascript, HTML, MATLAB, PHP, Ruby, SQL, Turing, and XML.

Work

In February, 2013, I moved to Los Angeles, California as I accepted a Software Engineering position in the Security Response team of Symantec in Culver City, California. Symantec is a Fortune 500 company that is a global leader in providing security, storage, and systems management solutions to consumers, businesses, and global organizations. From my perspective, as an employee, Symantec offers a pleasant work environment, full of intelligent and good-natured people, great work benefits, and sufficient training options for career development. I don't think one could go wrong working here.

Hobbies

Listening to bollywood music and watching English and Hindi movies has become a common pass-time. Recently, I've spent some time watching Big Bang Theory, Cosmos, Dexter, House, and Suits. Playing games and watching sports, specifically MLB, NBA, and NHL, is also where most of my time is spent when I'm at home. In the past, I have spent time drawing cartoons, animals, portraits, and anything else that I found interesting and/or challenging. In terms of exercise, I tend to stay fit from playing badminton, softball, and tennis with friends and family. In general, I enjoy playing anything and everything.

More recently, I have found some joy in designing and developing websites. My first website was a beta version to this website. In December, 2010, I launched a website called "We are Loggers", which has been running ever since. In July, 2012, I started a game site, "FunNode", which I continue to work on today. In 2014, I co-founded "MentorMint", which is also a work-in-progress. I have several other ideas for potentially successful websites, but I just haven't had much time to get started on them.

Other Sources of Information

There are a few public websites that have information about me, including Facebook, GitHub, and LinkedIn.