Dr. Chris Bopp and Dr. Tara Walker on their wedding day
Photo courtesy of Dr. Tara Walker
Dr. Chris Bopp and Dr. Tara Walker with their artwork
BY: CHRIS DOODY, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Dr. Tara Walker, associate professor of communication, and Dr. Chris Bopp, associate professor of computer science, are one of the multiple couples across St. Bonaventure University’s campus and have been married since Oct. 2016.
Walker and Bopp first met while she was attending graduate school in Chicago and he was working as a computer security consultant. “We literally met in a bar,” said Walker.
“It was in the days before online dating,” said Bopp. “We didn’t even have smartphones.”
Walker said that it was 2007 and they had “dumb phones.”
“We used to like to joke that we met in a bookstore because it sounded so much more romantic or something, but it was a bar,” said Walker.
Walker met Aaron Chimbel, dean of the Jandoli School of Communication, and Dr. Kimberly DeSimone, professor of journalism, at a conference in Toronto. “I had a quick meeting with them; we kind of hit it off and they ended up flying me out [to Bonaventure] for an in-person interview,” said Walker. “At that point Chris was like, ‘I guess maybe I should see if there’s anything there for me.’ Then we both ended up getting job offers. It’s really hard to get two tenure track jobs at the same institution, so it was really lucky.”
Walker and Bopp said that a lot of people that they know who are married to other academics end up living in other states or countries from each other. Others have long road trips or have to fly to get to see their spouses, so they are grateful for how fortunate they were to find two open positions at the same time.
“It’s called a two-body problem,” said Bopp. “When you need to have two academic positions it is very rare and difficult.”
Even though Walker and Bopp are in different departments, they find ways to collaborate with each other.
“It is kind of ridiculous the amount of times we work together,” said Bopp. “We’ve done research projects together and she’s currently working on an escape room. So I’m just like, ‘hey that sounds fun,’ and I join in on it.”
Their frequent collaborations also mean balancing research with the realities of home life.
“We have this ongoing research project that’s coming from the back burner right now that we are working on,” said Walker. “We have a lot of overlap in terms of some of the questions that we’re interested in exploring and our research. It is hard sometimes to not get distracted by household stuff; to be working together and not be like ‘We have to do that. We need to go to the grocery store. Take the dog out.’ That’s what is kind of hard about working together.”
Walker and Bopp said working at the same university, but on different schedules, helps strengthen communication skills.
“What time does your day start? What time will you be home? It is a constant discussion in our house,” said Bopp. “There is a lot of coordinating happening.”
Walker and Bopp wouldn’t say they work together, but that they work at the same university and sometimes collaborate.
“[One of my favorite parts is] when you go to a meeting or work with someone, it’s nice not having to explain the whole context and give background on who someone is,” said Bopp. “We know a lot of the same people and both of us have interacted with them.”
One of Walker’s favorite parts about working at the same university is their dining hall dates, even though she said it feels cheesy.
“Always having somebody to bounce ideas off of,” said Walker. “But kind of the same thing, not having to explain the context. When I’m teaching this thing and a kid says ‘blah, blah, blah,’ [I’ll] ask Chris what do you think? It’s funny because sometimes we have the same students in our classes.”
Walker and Bopp said they spend a lot of time together working in front of the tv; however, they also enjoy doing art.
“So he does photography and I paint and draw. We just did this art show at the Tri County Arts Council,” said Walker. “He showed three of his photos and I did paintings based off of his photos and we showed them side by side.”
Walker and Bopp said they are kind of relationship dinosaurs and didn’t know where to start for giving advice for young couples. They think that dating is different now.
“In the era of ten second videos, there is a lot less patience for people being annoying,” said Bopp. “That is a relationship: Dealing with people being annoying.”
While they admit that times have changed, Walker and Bopp shared some advice for students.
“In college you have this glorified idea of a relationship,” said Walker. “Nobody really has to deal with anybody else’s dirty socks or annoying habits. I feel like in college you’re juggling so much. You’re trying to juggle friendships, relationships, school, having fun, parents, you having no money and that kind of stuff. It is really easy to lose balance in a new relationship. You need to maintain a good sense of separation, like this is my life and there are the things I care about and this is what I’m dedicating some time to.”
Walker and Bopp emphasized that more patience is always needed. You need patience so you can live and grow together, and be able to give each other space and time.
