Chris and Kate first met during grad school orientation at Penn State in 2012. After a year and a little matchmaking from a mutual friend, they started dating. Four years and two PhDs later, they moved to Columbus, Ohio for Chris's postdoc at Ohio State. Two years later, Kate got a job in Wisconsin and they had a long distance relationship. During the pandemic Chris was able to stay in Wisconsin with Kate for a month at a time while OSU labs were closed. Finally the pair reunited in Auburn, AL where they reside today. Chris proposed to Kate a few months shy of their 10th anniversary and they can't wait to start the rest of their lives together.