Dr. Brian Fikkert is a Professor of Economics and Community Development and the founder and Executive Director of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College. Brian earned a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University, specializing in international economics and economic development. He has been a consultant to the World Bank and is the author of numerous articles in both academic and popular journals. Prior to coming to Covenant College, he was a professor at the University of Maryland-College Park and a research fellow at the Center for Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector. Brian is the co-author of When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself (Steve Corbett), and From Dependence to Dignity: How to Alleviate Poverty through Church-Centered Micro-finance (Russell Mask and Rick Warren). Brian and his wife, Jill, have three children.