Toothpaste: A necessary tool for the twice-daily brushing routine–but also the launchpad for one Marshall relationship.
Carl, assistant provost for graduate and interdisciplinary studies, and Anna, associate dean of the College of Science, Mummert met in graduate school in the mathematics program at Penn State.
“We shared an office with about 20 other first-year and second-year students,” Anna said. “Our desks were just a couple desks down from each other.”
In addition to their close proximity and shared experiences as graduate students, Anna said a morning class together prompted a romantic curiosity.
“It was modern algebra, the first class of the day at maybe nine in the morning, and he used to come in every day with toothpaste on his lip,” Anna said. “It was the most adorable thing, but now, I try to not let him leave the house with toothpaste on his face.”
Beyond classroom adventures, the pair embarked on a trip to Niagara Falls early in the relationship over one winter break, Carl said.
“It turned out to be a mistake to go in late December because the water comes off the falls and freezes on every surface,” Carl said. “There were six inches of ice on the handrails, and it was about six degrees – it was the most frigid place I’ve ever been in my life.”
Though their initial visit to Niagara Falls was marked by icy conditions, their desire to return to the falls did not freeze over, Carl said. However, rather than icicles, the couple opted to turn up the heat in the form of a meal.
“We would drive through Canada and cross at Buffalo,” Carl said. “We would then stop and get chicken wings and drive the rest of the way to Rochester to visit Anna’s family.”
As of late, the couple said they have continued their love for travel, including rigorous outdoor activities.
“We were doing some pretty serious road biking, and we rode our bicycles from here to Cincinnati,” Carl said. “It took two days, so it was a pretty long bike ride.”
When Carl and Anna aren’t traveling, Anna said they enjoy spending quiet evenings together cooking.
“Carl is an excellent chef and our main chef,” Anna said. “We would’ve starved by now if I was the one cooking.”
Carl said when he met Anna in graduate school, her dinner of choice was several pieces of toast with various jellies and scrambled eggs.
“That made it a variety if you had three different jellies on your three pieces of toast,” Carl said. “We’ve moved a long way since then.”
While the couple works in varying areas, they said they like to debrief their respective work days over a meal–that Carl has probably whipped up.
“We try to eat dinner together almost every night,” Carl said. “We talk through what happened at work, but at work, we are very separate.”
Despite their differing roles, Anna said she continues to gain knowledge regarding the administrative side of the university.
“It’s been very helpful for me to get his experience on the technical stuff behind the scenes at the university,” Anna said. “If I have a problem, he suggests ways to address it.”
At the heart of it all, Carl said allowing each other to grow has encouraged their relationship to flourish.
“We’re both able to work towards goals we have,” Carl said. “We support each other, and we spend time together doing fun things.”
Similarly, Anna said achieving personal life goals has never been an issue with Carl by her side.
“I get to be my own person and spend all my spare time with Carl,” Anna said.
Kaitlyn Fleming [email protected].
