2023 Maine Women’s Hall of Fame Inductee Announced

Sandra L. Caron, Sexuality Professor, Therapist and Author, to Be Inducted into the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame March 18, 2023

Reception: 1 pm

Ceremony: 2 pm

Sandra L. Caron, Ph.D. Professor of Family Relations and Human Sexuality, University of Maine, therapist and author, Sandra L. Caron is the 2023 inductee into the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame.

The Maine Women’s Hall of Fame was established in 1990 by the BPW/Maine Futurama Foundation. The induction ceremony is usually held at the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) on the third Saturday of March, in observance of Women’s History Month. UMA maintains a permanent Maine Women’s Hall of Fame display of photographs and citations for all honorees in the Bennett D. Katz Library.

The BPW/Maine Futurama Foundation maintains an active scholarship program. Since 1962, when the first small scholarship was presented, it has been helping Maine women achieve economic self-sufficiency by awarding scholarships to outstanding and deserving women. Recipients of these scholarships have gone on to contribute to the economic well-being of their families and the State of Maine.

Caron, a longtime professor of family relations and human sexuality at the University of Maine (UMaine), 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.

Caron will be inducted in a ceremony on Saturday, March 18, at 2 p.m. in the Farber Forum in Jewett Hall at the University of Maine at Augusta, 46 University Drive, Augusta, Maine. To attend, please send an email to futuramafound@gmail.com with your name, email address, and organization affiliation. Participants may also attend via zoom at https://maine.zoom.us/j/87366469936 on the day of the event.

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.

Caron is a member of the American Association of Sex Educators Counselors and Therapists, and The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality. Since joining the UM 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.