Benny Skinner (they/them) is a Two-Spirit thinker, educator, and creator living in the Great Lakes Regions (Waterloo, Haldimand Tract) of Turtle Island. On their father’s side, they come from the community of Harbour Round, Newfoundland that has mixed Ktaqmkuk Mi’kmaq, Inuit, Keltic, and French ancestry. On their mother’s side, they come from the Kapampangan people who are ancestrally Indigenous to the Southeast Asian archipelago and were stagnated by colonial activity on the island of Luzon, Philippines. Benny currently works as an independent consultant in decolonizing institutional spaces and Indigenous research. They are also a sessional lecturer at St. Jerome’s University in the Sexualities, Relationships, and Families Studies Department. Benny holds a Bachelor of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies and a Master of Arts in Global Governance, both from University of Waterloo. They are a research fellow and PhD student at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, an ambassador for a number of human rights advocacy organizations, and queer public figure in Waterloo Region.
Benny Skinner
BSIA Fellow Indigenous Research Advisor, University of Waterloo Master of Arts in Global Governance, 2023
Student, BSIA Fellow, Graduate
Student, BSIA Fellow, Graduate
Benny Skinner
BSIA Fellow
Indigenous Research Advisor, University of Waterloo
Master of Arts in Global Governance, 2023
Awards
- “We Lead with Pride” Queer Community Leadership Award, 2025
- Global Governance Fellowship, 2024 (deferred until 2025)
- Provost Doctoral Entrance Award for Women, 2024 (deferred until 2025)
- Appointed a Balsillie School of International Affairs Fellowship, 2023
- Inaugural Judy McCrae Warrior Impact Award for academic, athletic, and community service excellence, 2022
- University of Waterloo Varsity Women’s Rugby Most Valuable Citizen, 2020-2021
- Ontario University Athletics Women’s Rugby All-Star, 2018-2019, 2020-2021
- University of Waterloo Athletic Scholarship, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021
- Recipient of a Balsillie School of International Affairs Global Governance Fellowship, 2020
- University of Waterloo Dean’s List, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021
Select Publications
- Farid, A., Mungai, A., Skinner, B., Shehzad, A. & Tabujara, Stephie-Lea. 2022. “Unlikely Allies: Reaching Beyond Traditional Halls of Power for AI Global Governance.” In Aftershocks: 2022 Global Trends Report, edited by Nicole Langlois, 55-62. Waterloo: Balsillie School of International Affairs.
Education
- MA, Global Governance from University of Waterloo (2023)
- BA, Honours Peace and Conflict Studies from University of Waterloo (2019)