While Ursinus’ long history of romance between students is near-legendary on campus, with students frequently repeating the beloved-though-incorrect statistic that 80% of Ursinus students marry another Ursinus student, we less often notice the couples on campus whose relationships brighten the UC community in an extraordinary way: professors who work with their partners.
According to the Physics department’s Assistant Professor Ross Martin-Wells and Associate Professor Kassie Martin-Wells, working together makes them better educators and better partners. Ross explains that the training that he and Kassie have in common and the skills they’ve built together, having met as college lab partners in 2005, strengthen their communication in all facets of their life: “My becoming a proper adult is associated with understanding how to work with Kassie. I don’t think I could remove the ability to work with Kassie from my brain while being the same person.” Kassie agrees, offering that they believe that “it’s really important with the work that we do to have someone to bounce ideas off of.” The chair of the Theatre and Dance department, Associate Professor Shannon Zura, echoes the same; she’s often the tech director for shows directed by her partner, Associate Professor Dr. Meghan Brodie, and the relationship between a tech director and a director is one of negotiation and communication, even in times of disagreement. According to Zura, her relationship with Dr. Brodie only enhances their creative work: “[Working together] allows us to have open conversations. Easier conversations.”
The benefits of each pair’s collaboration is hard to miss, too. When asked about Zura and Brodie, Ursinus student Calista Baechtold ‘26 commented that “[the two] just work as a duo… [Zura] had many ideas that [Brodie] was open to, but also was respectful about declining anything that didn’t fit her vision. They had fun banter while still keeping it professional.” Speaking about Ross and Kassie, physics student Annalyse Dickinson ‘25 said, “[Ross and Kassie] are consistent… they’re reliable… It’s quite obvious that they love each other very much… It’s heartwarming.” Jack Keim ‘26 adds that he sees them as “a power duo.”
Working with one’s partner, though, can also complicate the line between work and home life. Professor Zura also emphasized the importance of her work/life balance in maintaining her relationship with Dr. Brodie; she explained that they embrace a strict ‘work is work, home is home’ policy, leaving time in the evening for herself and her partner sans answering work emails. However, Ross and Kassie take a different approach: “We’re not the kind of people,” Kassie explains, “that do a lot of compartmentalization in that sense. I really strive to be a full human being when I’m at work.” Ross put it as seeing himself and Kassie as lacking “off switches,” which is why they picked the careers that they did: “I’m thinking about all of the things that have to go on in my work life and my home life, all at the same time.”
To conclude their interviews, Ross, Kassie, and Professor Zura all offered advice for students as they navigate the world of dating. “Always talk about everything that’s going on. If you’re concerned with something [or] if you feel that there’s something wrong and you’re not sure what it is,” Ross assures, “the best way to solve that is to discuss it with someone that you trust… It’s easier to be honest with someone who you know loves you [than with yourself].” Kassie emphasizes the importance of sharing passions: “[B]e excited and curious about things in your life… and the things that other people are excited about… whether that’s platonic, romantic, collegial, whatever.” Finally, Zura cautioned against taking one’s partner, “that person we are closest to,” for granted. She says she thinks it’s vital to make time for friends and partners, even if it’s just over lunch, and that her most important advice is to “first and foremost, be kind.”
In the end, according to Kassie, there’s “nobody [they] would rather work with in the world than Ross.” Professor Zura says she and Dr. Brodie are just as grateful: “We feel very lucky.”