The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University is pleased to name Dr. Charlene Muehlenhard as the recipient of the 2022 Alfred C. Kinsey Distinguished Researcher Award, which honors renowned scientists and academics who shape our understanding of human sexuality through their sex research.
Dr. Muehlenhard is a Professor at the University of Kansas where she holds a joint appointment in the Department of Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies and the Department of Psychology. Her research includes issues of women and violence, the psychology of women, and conceptual issues in human sexuality.
Dr. Muehlenhard has received numerous awards including the Distinguished Service Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (2019), the SSSS Kinsey Award, which acknowledges contributions to the field of sex research, sex therapy, and/or sexology (2012), the SSSS Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award (2010), which is a lifetime achievement award that recognizes professionals who have made outstanding contributions to research in sexuality, the Hugo G. Beigel Research Award (2009), and was a finalist for the Ira and Harriet Reiss Theory Award in 2008. In 1993, Dr. Muehlenhard was recognized as one of the “distinguished researchers who have made significant contributions to our understanding of human sexuality.” She has also been recognized for her teaching excellence in both psychology and women’s studies at the University of Kansas. She is a Fellow of both the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality and the American Psychological Association (divisions 9, 35, and 44). In 1993, she was inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame by the Commission on the Status of Women at the University of Kansas.
Dr. Muelenhard is widely regarded both for her reputation as a mentor and as a leading scientific authority on sexual violence. Her body of work includes decades of research into issues of women and violence, including rape, stalking, sexual harassment, and domestic violence. Her now classic 1987 article “Date rape and sexual aggression in dating situations: Incidence and risk factors” co-written with Dr. Melaney Linton and published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology is the 5th-most cited article in the journal’s history. Her more recent publications address sexual consent among college students including “Evaluating the one-in-five statistic: Women’s risk of sexual assault while in college” (Journal of Sex Research) and “Understanding the complexity of sexual consent: Normative attitudes and behaviors in university women and men” (Journal of Sexual Medicine).
Dr. Alfred Kinsey’s pioneering research changed the way human sexuality is perceived and led to a greater acceptance of diversity in sexual expression. The Alfred C. Kinsey Distinguished Researcher Award not only recognizes today’s distinguished sex research but also represents validation, gratitude, and support of the individuals who have the vision, determination, courage, and commitment to conduct sex research. This award is made possible through an endowed fund at the Kinsey Institute.
The award will be presented to Dr. Muehlenhard at the Kinsey Institute 75th Anniversary Research Symposium to held in September 2022 in Bloomington, Indiana.
Congratulations to Charlene. I knew her when…
Jules Black, Brisbane, Australia