Dr. Sandra Byers

Dr. Sandra Byers joined UNB 46 years ago as a faculty member, and has been an integral part of the department of psychology ever since.

She earned her BA from the University of Rochester and her master’s and PhD in clinical psychology from West Virginia University. At UNB, she has taught a wide range of in-depth, evidence-based psychology courses to thousands of students. She is a beloved educator and mentor to both students and colleagues at UNB and beyond.

Dr. Byers has supervised 18 doctoral students,12 master’s students and 30 honours students. She is renowned for introducing students to the research field of sexuality and sexual well-being through developing cutting-edge undergraduate and graduate courses. She is widely respected in the field of human sexuality for co-authoring the textbook, Understanding Human Sexuality, now in its eighth edition.

She has published over 190 peer-reviewed papers in leading research journals and 30 chapters in books and anthologies. As author or co-author of over 275 scholarly presentations, her work is frequently cited by researchers across the globe, informing policies related to sexual well-being, sexuality education and sexual violence.

Dr. Byers’s contributions to psychology have been widely recognized, most notably when she was elected as a fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) and of the Royal Society of Canada. She received the UNB Merit Award in 1990, 1993 and 2010, and the Research Scholar Award in 2008.

In 2010, Dr. Byers was awarded the prestigious Donald O. Hebb Award for Distinguished Contribution to Psychology as a Profession by the CPA. In 2013, the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality awarded Dr. Byers with the Alfred C. Kinsey Award, which acknowledges individuals for their outstanding contributions to the field of sex research, sex therapy or sexology. Most recently, she was awarded the Masters and Johnson Award for extraordinary contributions to clinical sexuality and sex research by the Society of Sex Research and Therapy.

Dr. Byers has been president of the Canadian Sex Research Forum and the International Academy of Sex Research - positions held only by the world’s foremost sex researchers.

Throughout her distinguished career at UNB, Dr. Byers has shaped the field of sexuality research while mentoring generations of psychology students and researchers. Her legacy continues through her influential publications, the success of her students, and the lasting impact of her contributions to psychology, education and sexual well-being.