Rate My Professor Justin Garcia

Justin R. Garcia is the Ruth N. Halls Professor of Gender Studies and Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University Bloomington. Within the Social Science faculty, he holds adjunct appointments as Professor in the IU School of Medicine and the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IU Indianapolis, along with affiliate faculty roles in the IU Network Science Institute, Cognitive Science Program, and Human Biology Program. Garcia completed his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences (Evolution and Behavior) at Binghamton University in 2011, M.S. in Biomedical Anthropology in 2009, Certificate in Evolutionary Studies in 2007, and B.A. in Neuroscience and Behavioral Development in 2007. He conducted an NIH T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Common Themes in Reproductive Diversity at Indiana University from 2011 to 2013 before joining as Assistant Professor in Gender Studies and Assistant Research Scientist at the Kinsey Institute in 2013. He advanced to Associate Professor and Associate Research Scientist in 2017, received the Ruth N. Halls Endowed Professorship in 2016, became full Professor and Senior Scientist in 2021, and was appointed Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute in 2020. He also serves as co-chair of the Interdepartmental Graduate Committee on Human Sexuality.

An evolutionary biologist and sex researcher, Garcia specializes in the evolutionary and biocultural foundations of romantic and sexual relationships across the life course, examining sexual behaviors, monogamy, intimacy, courtship, dating, desire, satisfaction, and reproductive strategies. Key publications include co-authoring Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior (Harvard University Press, 2013) with Peter B. Gray, co-editing Evolution’s Empress: Darwinian Perspectives on the Nature of Women (Oxford University Press, 2013), and highly cited papers such as "Sexual hookup culture: A review" (Review of General Psychology, 2012) and "What keeps passion alive?" (Journal of Sex Research, 2017, recipient of the Hugo G. Beigel Award). Since 2010, he has advised Match.com on the Singles in America study and holds editorial board positions with Personal Relationships and Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences. His work has appeared in outlets like CNN, HBO, Netflix, The New York Times, and Time. Major awards include Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2026), Fellow of the International Association for Relationship Research, IU Bicentennial Medal (2020), Outstanding Junior Faculty Award (2017), and 50 Distinguished Sexual and Gender Health Revolutionaries Award (2021).