Kennedy has received many awards for her work, including Outstanding Citizen from the Anne Frank Center in New York, Higher Education Leader of the Year from the National Society for Experiential Education, Community Service Award from the University of Minnesota, Human Rights Award from the UN Office of Church Women United, and Change-maker award from the Minnesota Women’s Press. In 2019 she was designated as a Prominent Minnesotan for her human rights work.
World Without Genocide has received a Certificate of Merit from the State of Minnesota – Office of the Governor and two Minnesota Ethical Leadership Awards.
Kennedy is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association, the FBI National Citizens Academy Alumni Association training team, and the Advisory Board of the United Nations Association of Minnesota. She is a representative of World Without Genocide to the United Nations Department of Global Communications.
She has a BA degree from the University of Michigan, three masters’ degrees, and two doctorate degrees from the University of Minnesota.