Benjamin C Kennedy
He/Him/His
- Profile
- Education
- Research
- Fellowships/Grants/ Awards
Profile
Benjamin C. Kennedy (he/him) is a PhD student in Education Studies at UC San Diego. He is a transgender author, educator, and activist who grew up in rural Maryland and later attended The University of Vermont. His work focuses on equity policy, investigating and supporting gender identity development in early childhood, and helping educators to create trans affirming curriculum and classrooms. Ben is a sought after public speaker, guest lecturer, and consultant on transgender issues and gender diversity in schools. He is a national facilitator with Welcoming Schools, a Board Member for Trans Youth Liberation, and a youth mentor at San Diego Pride. Ben has lobbied on Capitol Hill, collaborated with The National Center for Transgender Equality, Planned Parenthood, Gender Odyssey, and Bernie Sanders, and has been published in diverse outlets including several academic journals, multiple books, HuffPost, and NPR.
Outside of academics, Ben is a sponsored CrossFit athlete with The OUT Foundation; he trains competitively for CrossFit, Hyrox, and gymnastics at CrossFit Humanity. He is a Halloween enthusiast and can recite most Tim Burton movies from memory. Ben and his partner Becca have three cats, a three-legged pitbull, and a rotating crew of foster animals - usually neonatal kittens, with the occasional guinea pig or other visitor joining the chaos. They are passionate about good food, good music, good tattoos, and being good to others.
Education
The University of California, San Diego | PhD in Education Studies 2020-2025
The University of Vermont | M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
The University of Vermont | B.S. in Early Childhood Special Education
Summa cum laude, concentrations in psychological sciences, music, and Spanish
Research
Research interests: meeting the needs of transgender students; the impact of educators on transgender youth’s identity development; education access and equity; equity policy
Research teams: UC San Diego EDLAB Institute (Education, Development, Learning, and Brain) EdNeuro Project; Dr. Datnow's RAC; #USvsHate through UCSD CREATE (Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment, & Teaching Excellence)
Research teams: UC San Diego EDLAB Institute (Education, Development, Learning, and Brain) EdNeuro Project; Dr. Datnow's RAC; #USvsHate through UCSD CREATE (Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment, & Teaching Excellence)
Fellowships/Grants/ Awards
Competitive Edge Fellowship, The University of California, San Diego
Kroner Dean’s Fellowship, The University of California, San Diego
Office of Special Education Programs Grant, U.S. Department of Education
San Diego Pride Youth Mentor of the Year
Educational Leadership Masters Program Graduate Award in Education and Public Affairs. This award signifies a core tenet of the Program, that high quality educational services must be administered in partnership with other mental health and human services.
University of Vermont Prism Center Jackie Weinstock Service Award. This recognizes an LGBTQ individual working to better the quality of life for LGBTQA people at UVM.
University of Vermont Prism Center Provost’s Commitment to Equity and Inclusion Award. This award recognizes an LGBTQ student who has demonstrated a commitment to advancing social justice and cultural diversity at UVM through education.
Kroner Dean’s Fellowship, The University of California, San Diego
Office of Special Education Programs Grant, U.S. Department of Education
San Diego Pride Youth Mentor of the Year
Educational Leadership Masters Program Graduate Award in Education and Public Affairs. This award signifies a core tenet of the Program, that high quality educational services must be administered in partnership with other mental health and human services.
University of Vermont Prism Center Jackie Weinstock Service Award. This recognizes an LGBTQ individual working to better the quality of life for LGBTQA people at UVM.
University of Vermont Prism Center Provost’s Commitment to Equity and Inclusion Award. This award recognizes an LGBTQ student who has demonstrated a commitment to advancing social justice and cultural diversity at UVM through education.
