Several Pepperdine professors have worked alongside their partners on campus for years and have loved them even longer.
The Lucases and Perrins provide a glimpse of love that has lasted for decades and counting.
Timothy and Krista Lucas
Mathematics Professor Timothy Lucas and Biology Professor Krista Lucas have been married for 23 years with two children, both in high school.
They first met when Timothy Lucas sold Krista Lucas a book at his on-campus job while they were undergraduates at Occidental College, he said.
After a couple of weeks of talking, they saw a Christian rock band called Newsboys for their first date, Timothy Lucas said. He invited Krista Lucas since he had an extra ticket, and their relationship only continued to blossom from there.
In October of their senior years, there was something special Timothy Lucas planned for their anniversary, he said.
They drove to places where they had gone on dates, Timothy Lucas said. Many of their shared memories revolved around music, so he ensured the drive was just as meaningful as the destinations.
“I put together some mixtapes of music that corresponded to the different things we had done together,” Timothy Lucas said.
“The Wedding Singer” — a romantic comedy that Krista loved — inspired the proposal, Timothy Lucas said. At the end of the movie, a singer named Robbie writes a song called “I Wanna Grow Old With You” to propose to Julia, a waitress.
Following their trip and dinner, Timothy Lucas played the song on his guitar for Krista Lucas and proposed, he said. And of course, she said yes.
“No relationship is ever easy, but sometimes, it just feels so right,” Krista Lucas said. “I can say any of the terrible things that have happened — or even the worst parts of myself — that this person [Timothy Lucas] will not think that I’m a terrible person, and I think that means a lot to me.”
As a couple working on the same campus, the Lucases said they find it nice to have each other there if one of them is having a bad day.
Not only are they emotionally supportive of each other, but they also strengthen each other academically. The Lucases published a paper in 2020 on the effectiveness of an educational app Timothy Lucas created to use in his class.
“When I got into academia, I never thought of the possibility of working together,” Timothy Lucas wrote in a follow-up email. “But when we wrote this paper together, I saw what a good team we are. Krista is better at getting initial ideas onto the page, and my strength is at editing.”
The Lucases do not have any specific plans for Valentine’s Day, but they generally enjoy walking around Disneyland, just the two of them spending time together, Timothy Lucas said.
Robbin Perrin and Cindy Miller-Perrin
Sociology Professor Robin Perrin and Psychology Professor Cindy Miller-Perrin have been married for 38 years with two children in adulthood.
The Perrins both attended Seaver College but did not meet until they were graduate students at Washington State University when Robin Perrin left a note on Cindy Miller-Perrin’s door with the intention of becoming friends, he said.
Their relationship accelerated from there. After a few months of dating, they became engaged, Robin Perrin said. Less than a year later, they married.
“We teach a family class,” Robin Perrin said. “It [The short period between dating, engagement and marriage] violates every rule.”
The proposal was unplanned, Robin Perrin said. During Christmas break, they went to Cindy Miller-Perrin’s sister’s home and had dinner with a friend.
A heated argument with their friend resulted in Robin Perrin leaving the dinner abruptly, he said. Later that evening, they talked while lying in sleeping bags at Cindy Miller-Perrin’s sister’s home, and eventually, Robin Perrin spontaneously asked her to marry him.
“I think we realized we were both passionate about the same things and cared about the same things and saw the world the same way,” Cindy Miller-Perrin said.
It was not the proposal she expected, but while it was unplanned, it was genuine, Cindy Miller-Perrin said.
Some of Cindy Miller-Perrin’s favorite traits about her husband are his passion for social justice, honesty and humor, she said.
Robin Perrin said that she was always someone he looked up to in terms of her efficiency, intellect, passions and convictions.
“She’s a lot smarter than me,” Robin Perrin said. “I’m not intimidated by that — I like that.”
The Perrins feel very fortunate they can work and live on campus at Pepperdine, as they believe it was part of God’s plan, they said.
“I think it’s been nice to work at the same place because you know the same people; you understand what the other one does,” Cindy Miller-Perrin said. “You understand the stresses; you understand the dynamics.”
The couple shares many similar interests and hobbies, including going abroad, Robin Perrin said. They have been to Florence three times, Heidelberg twice, Buenos Aires twice and Africa once.
Last year for Valentine’s Day, the Perrins had lunch in Buenos Aires at a hotel, Cindy Miller-Perrin said. However, they typically do not have big plans for the holiday.
“Every day is Valentine’s Day for us,” Robin Perrin said. “We don’t make a big deal out of it.”
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Contact Faith Oh via email: faith.oh@pepperdine.edu or by Instagram: @oh_faiffful
