Sexuality professor, therapist and author Sandra Caron to be inducted into the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame
Editor’s note: Story updated with livestream link.
Nationally recognized sexuality professor, therapist and author Sandra Caron is the 2023 inductee into the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame.
Caron, a longtime professor of family relations and human sexuality at the University of Maine, joins an esteemed list of honorees, starting with Sen. Margaret Chase Smith in 1990 and last year including Julia Kahrl and Jessica Meir. The Maine Women’s Hall of Fame recognizes those whose achievements have had a significant statewide impact, significantly improved the lives of women in Maine, and contributed an enduring value for women.
A 1 p.m. reception will be followed by an induction ceremony at 2 p.m., March 18 in the Farber Forum, Jewett Hall, University of Maine at Augusta. To attend or for more information, email futuramafound@gmail.org by March 6 with your name, email address, and organization affiliation. The event will be livestreamed: maine.
The Maine Women’s Hall of Fame was established in 1990 by the BPW/Maine Futurama Foundation. The induction ceremony is usually held on the third Saturday of March, in observance of Women’s History Month. The University of Maine at Augusta maintains a permanent Maine Women’s Hall of Fame display of photographs and citations for all honorees in the Bennett D. Katz Library.
“It is wonderful to see professor Caron’s long career in education, research and advocacy be recognized with her induction into the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame,” says UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “Generations of UMaine students and people statewide and beyond know of her pioneering work and dedication to the importance of inclusion for all. The UMaine community extends congratulations to this alumna (UMaine ’79, ’82G) for this impressive statewide honor.”
Caron, an Orono resident, is a pioneer in sexuality education, widely known throughout Maine, respected nationally and internationally for her creative teaching and groundbreaking research in sexuality education. Her involvement and contributions to UMaine and in the state have touched countless lives and contributed to inclusivity in communities.
Since joining the UMaine faculty in 1988, Caron has taught undergraduate and graduate courses, including the popular undergraduate course in human sexuality. She is also a member of the women’s, gender and sexuality studies faculty. In the span of her UMaine career, Caron has taught over 25,000 students.
She also has devoted countless hours to projects that advance a more inclusive and socially just society and university community. Her influence is wide-ranging, having mentored hundreds of students from Maine.
Caron’s research and publications focus on the social-sexual development of young people. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor specializing in sexuality-related issues and has authored several books on sexuality, including “Sex Matters for College Students: Sex FAQs in Human Sexuality” (2nd Edition); “Sex Around the World: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Human Sexuality”; and a children’s book, “Birds and Bees and More: How Babies Are Made and Families Form”. Her newest book is based on her research over the past 30 years, “The Sex Lives of College Students: Three Decades of Attitudes and Behaviors.”
Caron received the University of Maine Alumni Association’s 2019 Distinguished Maine Professor Award that recognizes the highest qualities of teaching, research and public service. She received UMaine’s 1998 Presidential Outstanding Teaching Award and the 2002 Presidential Public Service Award. In 2013, she was recognized by the Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center for her lifelong contribution to sexual and reproductive health, and in 1999, she received the Margaret Vaughn award from the Maine Family Planning for her outstanding contribution to sexuality education.
Caron received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UMaine, and her Ph.D. from Syracuse University.
Caron is a member of the American Association of Sex Educators Counselors and Therapists, and The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality.
Contact: Margaret Nagle, nagle@maine.edu