Ph.Ds in love

Matt, now a professor and program director of the Master’s in Higher Education Administration program at CMU, and Erica, now the interim assistant vice president of the Division of Student Affairs, began dating in 2001.

“I fell in love with Matt for a lot of reasons, both big and little,” Erica said. “I think the biggest things were that we shared a lot of the same values and life goals, liked a lot of the same things, and we balance each other in a lot of ways; all that plus the butterflies.”

“For me, it was a recognition of a shared value of knowing that we could grow alongside and support each other through life,” Matt said.

The couple was first separated when Matt began his graduate studies in College Student Personnel at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and Erica pursued a five-year degree at SVSU. 

As Matt graduated from Miami University, Erica began her graduate studies at the same institution, apparently unintentionally. 

“I applied to the same institution that he was at, but I was like, 'I am not gonna go there because you know, he was just there, and I'll find my own path,'" Erica said. "And then I fell in love with it, too."

The couple got married in Ohio between Erica’s first and second year of graduate school.

In support of each other’s career goals, the Johnsons then began touring the country.

The couple moved to Maryland while Matt pursued his Ph.D in College Student Personnel at the University of Maryland, then back to Ohio for his position as a visiting professor at Miami University. Erica left a “highly competitive” job at the University of Maryland to follow her husband. The couple spent months apart between the moves.

“It was a little bit interesting, trying to navigate a dual career in higher education and figuring out what we most prioritize and value for our lives together,” Erica said. “Now I think it looks a lot different. Matt's really supporting my career in various ways while he has his own here.” 

“Make sure that gets in the article,” Matt joked.

Wanting to find stable, long-term positions closer to their family in Michigan, the Johnsons found their way to CMU. Hosting a large body of first-generation college students like themselves, the couple said they felt connected to the university. Matt committed to CMU in February 2012 and Erica followed suit, starting in Aug. 2012.

“We couldn't be picky with a tenure-track job,” Matt said. “But, the student population, the location, proximity to family, the mission and what this place is about was just the icing on the cake. And it was so easy to say yes and commit.” 

Despite having been employed at CMU for over 12 years, the couple said that a lot of their colleagues don’t know they are married until they see them together.

“Sometimes it's kind of funny when they figure it out,” Erica said.

Currently, the Johnsons enjoy hiking and fishing (mostly Matt), and reading a good book or going to see a movie (mostly Erica). 

However, the couple fervently agrees on one activity in particular: bringing their kids to campus. The Johnsons bring their 7- and 10-year-old children to many events on campus, especially where it concerns CMU athletics.

“(The kids) have been in almost all these buildings,” Matt said. “They go to lots of different cultural events and music events and performances and that sort of thing. And living in a college town, I think if you don't immerse yourself in the vast things that are going on in the college campus, it's a real missed opportunity.”

Having navigated years of relocation and educational endeavors, the Johnsons hold an advanced perspective on love and marriage.

“Two people committing to each other, usually at a relatively young age, is kind of an odd thing, because you're going to change and evolve so much, right?” Matt said. “You're different people, you grow in different ways, things that you used to love and no longer do, hobbies, all these kinds of different things. 

"And it's an odd paradox to say we're going to get through this whole life, through all that together and still this one thing that we call being in love is going to remain and endure.”


Erica agreed.

"People change so much over their lifetime. You have to fall in love with every new version of that other person,” she said. “You just continuously have to fall in love with that person over and over again and all their different and new ways of being.”

Robert and Denise Fanning

Before the advantages of social media and emails, Denise and Robert Fanning were handwriting 12 page letters to each other weekly for three years, facing periods of separation in different states.

But now, they have both been working at Central Michigan University for almost four years together.    

Denise is the art coordinator and gallery director for Park Library's Baber Room Gallery. Robert is a professor of English and teaches creative writing courses at CMU. 

Robert was 18 and Denise was 16 when they first met in August of 1988 on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey.

Robert said both him and Denise were at the Boardwalk for a vacation but separately, with family and friends. A friend of Denise's had gone up to Robert and his friend Kevin first, before Denise approached them. 

"I felt too shy to talk to her at first but gradually got up the nerve," Robert said. 

"I knew I wanted to stay in touch with Denise and it seemed like writing letters would be a great way to do that," he said. "I wrote her a letter as soon as I got back to Michigan, and our correspondence was passionate and dedicated for a few years, with just letters only."

At the time, Denise lived in Richboro, Pennsylvania and Robert lived in Bloomfield Township, Michigan. 

“We evolved our relationship through letter writing,” Denise said. “When I was 19, I was interested in transferring colleges to join Robert at the University of Michigan so we could be together.”

Denise did transfer but only stayed for one year before completing her studies at Eastern Michigan University. 

The Fannings now can steal some moments to be together when at CMU.

“Whenever he is in the library, he texts me or stops by to visit,” she said. “Occasionally, we’ll get a coffee together or he’ll come over to visit the art shows with me.” 

Denise said one of the things they both enjoy the most about their positions on campus is the opportunity to host cultural art events for the community together and separately.

She said they have "complementary" fields of work and mutual understanding of their jobs. 

“We both recognize the demands and needs of an artist,” Robert said. “Sometimes though, she’ll ask my advice on her artwork and I’ll ask advice on some of my poems.”

Denise shared a moment where she has used Robert as a cast for life sized figurative sculptures. She said he has really great features for sculpting and compared him to Beethoven.  

“I had to cover his whole body in saran wrap and sit under solid plaster. It tested his endurance … and love,” she joked.  

Robert said Denise had put a mask over his face and straws in his nose to breathe. 

“As artists though, we’ve made sacrifices for each other,” he said. 

Another unique thing about being artists is that they both require time and space, Denise said.

“When Denise needs to be in the studio to work, I understand that,” Robert said. “And I try to steal time in the mornings and weekends to write, she respects that too.” 

Outside of working on campus and their art, the Fannings said they love to be in nature, go camping, do exercise, garden and play music.  

“Music is also a great passion in our family,” Denise said. “Robert is a musician and our daughter is a musician and songwriter.” 

The Fannings have known each other for 36 years and have been married since 1997.   

When asked what their secret to a happy marriage is, Robert jokingly said, “Do we have one yet?" But he said listening, being patient and having a relaxed sense of love and respect for each other means a lot in their relationship.

For Denise, she said the secret was to find a partner with whom one can feel both safe and free.

“You have the sense that you’re always safe with them, but you also have freedom to be yourself and do the things you need to do in order to be a whole, full person,” she said. “It’s been really important for us as artists to have that.” 

Robert said relationships require maintenance and checking in. He also said a marriage has many seasons. 

“You can’t expect it to be the same all the time,” he said. “You just have to grow with each other and roll with the changes."