In 2017, Morgan and Will were both working toward their PhDs at universities 600 miles apart. Will unexpectedly relocated from Dartmouth to Kent, Ohio with his lab. On his first morning at Kent State, Morgan and her advisor were coincidentally the first people Will met. He attended a meeting with Morgan’s group in the Chemistry department, where they would be collaborating over CD36-targeting cancer drugs. Over the next two years, their paths often crossed as they bonded over their shared research interests in drug-resistant cancers and platinum chemotherapies—a connection they have honored with their platinum wedding rings. Will frequently tried to direct Morgan to his way of doing things and was left amazed by her ability to always do it in an unprecedented way. One afternoon, Morgan and Will took a break from the lab for “quick” cup of coffee, during which Morgan shared peaches from The Georgia Peach Truck. That simple break turned into a five hour conversation filled with their mutual bad humor. Shortly after, they began dating, often sneaking away from the lab to share coffee and laughs on the swings behind their buildings.

Morgan and Will have two special family members they wanted to be part of their engagement: their cats, Casper and Luna. On a memorable Saturday morning, Will proposed at home with cat in each arm. Morgan said yes—just as Luna scratched her and Casper vomited a hairball.