The Kinsey Institute is pleased to share that Senior Scientist Dr. Stephanie Sanders has assumed the role of Kinsey Institute Research Director, effective July 1, 2023.
Dr. Sanders will oversee the coordination of research by Kinsey Institute faculty, postgraduate researchers, and graduate students.
Dr. Sanders is a biopsychologist and gender scholar with expertise in sexual and gender development. Her robust research portfolio includes topics in sexual behavior; sexuality, sexual identity, and gender relations; gender difference in psychological and physical development; effects of prenatal hormones and drugs on human development; women’s health and well-being; menstruation, menopause, and the life cycle; and biopsychological perspectives on debates in feminist theory.
A long-time member of the Kinsey Institute research faculty, Dr. Sanders previously served as Interim Director in 1993-1995, 2004, and 2013-2014, and as Associate Director from 1995-2015. She is a founding member of the Kinsey Institute’s Condom Use Research Team (KI-CURT), an internationally recognized, multidisciplinary team that was formed in 2000 and is vested in advancing global sexual health through its research on the behavioral aspects of condom use. Dr. Sanders is also a Provost Professor, Peg Zeglin Brand Endowed Chair, and current Chair of Gender Studies at Indiana University.
Executive Director Dr. Justin Garcia said, “We are delighted to welcome Dr. Sanders as our new Research Director. She is a cherished colleague, skilled diplomat, and an internationally recognized expert in many areas of sex research, with deep familiarity with the Kinsey Institute’s strong research profile. She will provide thoughtful and experienced leadership during a critical time in the Institute’s history.”
The Kinsey Institute would like to thank Dr. Amanda Gesselman, Anita Aldrich Endowed Research Scientist and Head of the Kinsey Institute’s Research Analytics and Methodology Core, for four years of service in this role. “Dr Gesselman is a trusted colleague and much sought-after collaborator, and I am so grateful for her dedicated service, which she graciously extended beyond her initial plans,” said Dr. Garcia. Dr Gesselman remains on the Kinsey Institute faculty and is taking on a new administrative role focused on training and mentorship of the Institute’s postdoctoral scholars.