Sharon Elaine Kahn was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the USA, in 1946. She received postsecondary degrees from Washington University, St. Louis (BA English Literature 1968), Boston University (Med Counselling and Guidance 1969), and Arizona State University (Ph.D. Counselling Psychology 1975). In 1975, Kahn accepted a faculty position in the Department of Counselling Psychology at the University of British Columbia, where she earned tenure and was promoted to full professor. Kahn concentrated her research on counselling theory, gender-fair practices, and women's career issues. Her scholarly activities included two edited books, seven book chapters, more than twenty-five refereed articles, as well as numerous conference presentations and research reports.
In 1989, Kahn became UBC's first Director of Employment Equity. In 1994, she was appointed UBC's first Associate Vice President, Equity, responsible for administering the University's employment and educational equity programs and for handling complaints of discrimination and harassment. Under her direction, UBC received two Certificates of Merit from the federal government for exceptional achievement in implementing an employment equity work plan and maintaining a representative workforce. In 1997, Human Resources Development Canada awarded the University its Vision Award for the excellence of its employment equity program. In 2006, Kahn became UBC's first Academic Leadership Coach, supporting the University's senior leadership. Kahn retired from UBC in 2013.
In 1986, Kahn married Thomas Edgar Blom, a professor of English literature at the University of British Columbia. Professor Blom died in 2003. In 2015, Kahn married Barrie James MacFadden, a retired Vancouver elementary school teacher.