Within the labyrinth of advanced academia and criminology, a love story filled with a balance of hard work and fun materializes from two members of Marshall University’s criminal justice program.
“We met at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania,” said Kim DeTardo-Bora, criminal justice professor and graduate director.
DeTardo-Bora met Dhruba “Dru” Bora, professor and chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, Criminology, & Forensic Sciences, while he was in the doctoral program and during her time working as a graduate advisor, which happened to be located in the mailroom, she said.
“Initially, it was a friendship because we were both concentrated on our academics,” DeTardo-Bora said.
The Bora’s relationship thrived despite the relentless dedication and unwavering commitment it requires to achieve advanced degrees, Bora said.
“We were determined to help each other succeed,” Bora said. “We both understood the demands the other had, and we could lean on each other for support.”
DeTardo-Bora went on to say their partnership is a blend of individual qualities, complementing each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
“Dru brings sunshine, light and positivity,” DeTardo-Bora said. “He brings the fun and reminds me I don’t have to take things so seriously and to enjoy life.”
Meanwhile, Bora said he admires DeTardo-Bora for her ambitious attributes.
“Kim is the most hardworking person I’ve ever met in my life,” Bora said. “She is so driven, and she pushed me to finish my dissertation.”
Due to the pair’s dedication to academic pursuits, they did not have the opportunity to partake in regularly scheduled dates at the start of their relationship, DeTardo-Bora said.
“We didn’t get to do the dates and the fun stuff because we were working really hard,” DeTardo-Bora said.
Despite this, the pair embarked on a 10-day vacation touring the southern states of the United States–or better known as the “Bora Palooza Tour of the South,” Bora said.
“It was a celebration of the two of us finishing our Ph.D.’s,” DeTardo-Bora said. “We gifted ourselves a vacation.”
Now that the pair has completed their degrees and are recently empty nesters, their time together looks a bit different, Bora said.
“It is our second year as empty nesters, and we have had to find ourselves as a couple,” Bora said.
Bora went on to say the couple enjoys traveling to watch their daughter, Asha Bora, a Marshall student and athlete, compete in track meets.
As for day-to-day activities, DeTardo-Bora said they both enjoy walking their beloved dog, binge watching television and watching track and cross-country in any capacity.
In addition, they enjoy attending concerts, including plans to attend an upcoming Rick Springfield show in Charleston.
Music, specifically Jimmy Buffett, has a large history in the pair’s relationship, Bora said.
“Our friends threw us a Jimmy Buffett-themed baby shower,” Bora said.
“Our daughter was born prematurely the night of the shower, and I was wearing a tropical shirt in the hospital for three days.”
As for working together, the pair said they feel privileged to be able to work together.
“We have been side by side, and it has meant a lot to us,” Bora said. “Having jobs together in a supportive environment is very lucky.”
