Salamanders, science and soulmates: A UD love story

Margaret “Meg” Maloney ’18 and Eric Borth ’17 married in 2022, but their wedding was not exactly what you would call traditional — it was a tribute to their love of science and how they met, in a University of Dayton research lab. It was just how they wanted it.

The couple first met in biology professor Ryan McEwan’s research lab as undergraduates at UD when Maloney was a first-year student and Borth was a sophomore. Maloney, an environmental biology major, focused her research on salamanders, while Borth, a biology major, was studying the aquatic insects in streams.

“We both worked in [McEwan’s] research lab,” Maloney said. “We were passionate about science and our love for the environment.”

As they worked together in the lab, the two young biologists shared a stream site at a local park where they would collect samples for their research. After spending countless hours together, the two Flyers grew closer and started dating. 

After seven years together, Borth popped the question on a trip to Zion National Park.

“Eric proposing in a national park was a perfect reflection of our relationship,” Maloney said. Borth getting down on one knee after the couple had hiked more than 3,000 feet of elevation was a perfect way to propose, she laughed. 

As the couple began to plan their wedding, they couldn’t think of anyone better to perform the ceremony than the person who brought them together — McEwan.

“We asked Ryan to officiate our wedding because he is such a positive influence and mentor in our lives, and he happily agreed,” Maloney said. 

Once the two found an officiant, they wondered who could be their flower girl. They wanted someone or something that represented their relationship, so they decided on their former 4 Paws for Ability service dog, Mallie, to act as flower girl. 

The two were members of 4 Paws for Ability during their time at UD, where they found the joy of being able to work with Mallie as they trained her as a service dog. Unfortunately, Mallie failed her final service dog tests and was deemed a “fabulous flunky.” The couple was then able to adopt her.  

“She may not have been cut out to be a service dog, but she did an amazing job as a flower girl,” Maloney said. 

As the two were brought together by science, McEwan decided to include the subject in his speech. During the vows, McEwan brought out lichen to symbolize their relationship. Lichen, a combination of fungus and algae, commonly grows in forests on trees and rocks. McEwan explained how the organism exists thanks to a mutualistic and symbiotic relationship — much like a marriage does. 

“It was a very sweet, very nerdy, science thing [to add to his speech],” Maloney said. “It was a total surprise, and we’ll never forget it.”

They now have that very same lichen framed in their house in Dayton. 

Maloney is working for the city of Dayton as a sustainability manager, and Borth is working as an environmental scientist with Dayton’s Department of Water. 

Borth, originally from Springboro, Ohio, and Maloney, originally from Chicago, said they have come to love Dayton and the environment it holds. They find themselves returning to area parks, hiking through the parks where they first met, realizing how lucky they are to have met and built a life in Dayton. 

And sometimes, they even find a salamander.