In 2001, Couture-Nowak and her husband moved their family to Blacksburg, Virginia, where her husband had accepted a position as Professor and Head of the Department of Horticulture at Virginia Tech.
Couture-Nowak and her partner made the decision to relocate their family to Blacksburg, Virginia in 2001. Her husband had been appointed as a professor and department head at Virginia Tech's horticulture department, which was a significant career move for him.