Herant Katchadourian

‘’’Herant A. Katchadourian’’’ (born January 23, 1933) is an Armenian-American psychiatrist and professor. He was born in Turkey and raised in Beirut. He was a Dean at Stanford University, and a Professor of Human Biology. He became renowned in the late 20th Century as an pioneering author and instructor of human sexuality. He is fluent in five languages. He became a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences as well as human biology. He also served as university ombudsman, vice provost, and dean of undergraduate studies.

In 1968, Katchadourian began teaching Stanford’s class in Human Sexuality, Human Biology 10. It became known as “the most heavily subscribed class in the history of the university”; over 20,000 students took the course before Katchadourian stopped teaching it in 2002. At its peak, one-quarter of Stanford’s undergraduate students were enrolled in the class.

As time passed, the scope of the course expanded to include additional topics such as sexual orientation, sexually-transmissible diseases, date rape, and harassment. which went through numerous editions and revisions.

Katchadourian became a trustee of his ‘’alma mater’’, American University of Beirut, in 2001, retiring in 2008. He was also a trustee of Haigazian University, a trustee of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and president of the Flora Family Foundation. in 1964. They have two children, Nina and Kai.