Emma Scott grew up in Central New Hampshire and loved to spend time at the beaches with her family and friends. She just received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Social Welfare from Gordon College. She plans to continue working to cultivate spaces for children to thrive by using her countless years of experience in doing just that through tutoring, leading summer camps, and interning at a Head Start agency. She is excited to work with others who are focused on serving children and families in a way that reflects their dignity and worth.
Ivy George, Ph.D. teaches sociology at Gordon College in Massachusetts. She was trained at the University of Madras, Bryn Mawr, Brandeis, and Harvard in economics, social work, social policy, and religion. She has written two books on child labour (From Child Labour to Child Work, 1990) and cross-cultural comparisons of romance and marriage (An Uncommon Correspondence – East West Conversations on Friendship, Intimacy and Love, 1998, co-authored with Margaret Masson). She has published articles and contributed book chapters and lectured on a wide variety of crucially important topics including masculinity, feminism, the impact of globalization on social inequalities, and international adoptions
Jonathan Porteous is a student at Wheaton College, IL, majoring in cultural anthropology and urban studies and pursuing a certificate in Human Needs and Global Resources (HNGR). Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, he mostly grew up near Boston, MA, rural New Jersey, and southern Florida. He followed a vocational high school track and spent a few wonderful and formative years working as an equine professional in high-performance sport. He stepped back from this work for a time of discernment and travel, spending time at places like L’Abri Fellowship in England, which eventually led him to college. He is interested in the development and function of educational ecosystems and their formational effects, and hopes to pursue graduate studies related to these topics. Jonathan is an alumnus of Wheaton in Chicago, an experiential urban studies program, and was the recipient of the 2025 Wheaton College Global Scholar Award.
Brian Howell, Ph.D. was a Professor of Anthropology at Wheaton College (IL). He is the author of several books, including Short Term Mission: An Ethnography of Christian Travel Narrative and Experience (IVPAcademic, 2012) and Introducing Cultural Anthropology: A Christian Perspective (with co-author Jenell Paris, [Baker Academic 2019]). He has numerous articles and book chapters on issues such as ethnographic perspective and theory, theology and anthropology, and race in the United States. In addition, he regularly teaches on topics of gender and masculinity, travel and tourism, and global indigneity. For the past four years he has studied improv and now regularly teaches and coaches at Westside Improv Studio in Chicagoland. He is married to Marissa Sabio, and has three children, Hannah, Sam and Ben.
Margot Kapic is a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a student. She is pursuing an undergraduate degree in economics at Covenant College. One of her favorite courses was U.S. Urban Poverty, taught by Dr. Lance Wescher. It opened her eyes to the structural and systematic brokenness that is a contributing factor of poverty in our country. Being born and raised in Chattanooga has deepened her interest in the alleviation of homelessness within her city. Working with organizations such as Metropolitan Ministries and The Chalmers Center gives her much hope. Daughter of a theologian and a non-profit innovation consultant, Margot’s background has laid the foundation for her to address social injustice and inequality. Her mom especially has instilled in her a drive to seek after justice for those without a voice. She is an active member of Northshore Fellowship Church.
Michael Mawhinney, originating from Sarasota FL, is a junior undergraduate student at Covenant College pursuing an economics degree. Michael has been called by the Holy Spirit to pursue vocational ministry, and he plans to use his undergraduate degree to help him reach the poor and marginalized through whatever ministry the Lord puts him in. After taking Intro to the New Testament and U.S. Urban Poverty, Michael has been deeply concerned about how churches are reaching the poor and needy, as the gospel of Luke commands. He sees a prevalent need in the community and that churches have the opportunity to meet it if they are presented with the resources. He hopes to synthesize his economic analysis and research with his heart for ministry.
Lance Wescher, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Economics and the Chairman of the Department of Economics and Community Development at Covenant College. He also serves as the US Economic Development Specialist and is the Director of the IDA Pilot Program for the Chalmers Center for Economic and Community Development at Covenant College. Dr. Wescher earned his B.A. in Economics with a minor in Theology from Wheaton College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Notre Dame. Lance has worked in banking with Wells Fargo and Company and consulting with Hewitt Associates. His areas of research include Labor Economics, Health Economics, Pensions and Finance. Prior to coming to Covenant College, he taught Economics at Wheaton College.
