Connie was born on September 11th, 1973. She grew up in Goodrich, MI. After graduating from high school she went to CMU (Central Michigan University) for her Bachelors. As part of her scholarship she got to spend a semester abroad. Connie chose to go to Edingburgh.
On her way she visited her relatives in Germany and even went to Oldenburg where Jan was studying at the time. She visited the Museum of Natural History which was only about three quarters of a mile from Jan's apartment. But they did not meet back then.
After receiving her degree from Central she came to MSU (Michigan State University) in East Lansing to get her doctorate in physics. That is where the two finally met teaching the same physics lab.
Jan was born on February 7th, 1971 in Lübeck and grew up in Stockelsdorf.
After finishing elementary school he went to high school in Bad Schwartau. After his Abitur he spent two years as a medic in the German army. A service of one year would have been mandatory at the time.
He went to Oldenburg to study physics and really enjoyed the city. Already at the beginning of his studies he was certain that he wanted to study a year abroad, Scotland maybe or the United States. In the Fall of the year 1995 he came to MSU where he is still persuing his Ph.D.