Visiting Scholars & Visiting Fellows

Katie brings a uniquely valuable professional background to the Trust. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling after building a successful career in corporate training and leadership, most recently serving as Director of Operations for Community Leadership and Development Inc. in Billings, Montana. A graduate of the University of North Texas, Katie will bring her organizational leadership skills and familiarity with the needs of nonprofits in the Pacific Northwest to help support our Enrichment team across a variety of programs.

Christopher is a recent graduate of Life Pacific University, graduating with a degree in Business Administration with a concentration on marketing. Starting this Fall, he will be pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at Portland Seminary – George Fox University, with a biblical studies concentration. This summer he will also be a licensed pastor through the Foursquare denomination, having been a recommended pastor as of last Spring. He has worked groundskeeping for two years and was a part of the student leadership team at LPU having organized/led bible studies for students and several kinds of ministry events for the school.

As a research fellow, Kelly leads projects advancing the Trust’s organizational strategies, strengthening partnerships, and aiding in programmatic assessment. Her research focuses on nonprofit management, collaboration, and conflict resolution with special attention to marginalized and under-resourced communities. Prior to joining the Trust, she pursued service-oriented fellowships both domestically and internationally including the Presidential Administrative Fellowship and the UNESCO Laura W. Bush Traveling Fellowship. An Oregon native, Kelly is particularly passionate about “building bridges” and “equipping and empowering others to serve their communities”. Kelly holds a MPA in nonprofit management and a BA in international affairs, both from The George Washington University.

In his work with the Trust, Jesse focuses on cultivating young leaders from diverse backgrounds across the Pacific Northwest, as well as working on a variety of educational initiatives. As a Cuban-American and the first in his family to attend college, he is passionate about inspiring underprivileged and underrepresented students to further their education. Jesse has an MPhil from the University of Oxford, where he studied Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity, and will begin doctoral studies in the fall of 2018. Jesse completed his term of service in September 2018.

Originally from Wollongong, Australia, Luisa Gallagher has been part of the Pacific Northwest community since 2011 and currently serves as a pastor at The Evergreen Community and teaches leadership, spiritual formation, and biblical studies at Portland Seminary and George Fox University. She holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University and a master’s degree in Educational Ministry from Wheaton College Graduate School. Prior to her current roles, Luisa spent over 12 years in higher education, working alongside emerging adults in student development and has worked in areas of social justice education and service-learning among marginalized populations. Luisa’s book Unscripted Spirituality: Making Meaning of Faith and Leadership in College will be published with Wipf and Stock in 2019.

As the Trust’s Research Fellow, Jordan supports the Trust across a variety of initiatives and sectors. Outside of the Trust, Jordan is the Director of Development and Communications at Borland Free Clinic, a local nonprofit offering free medical care to the community. In 2018 Jordan received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Divinity School, and enjoys teaching as an adjunct professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Portland. Jordan also serves as the Board Chair for the Academy of Formation and Mission within the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon. He and his wife, Andria, have two sons, Jacoby and Levi.

Dave comes to the Trust as a Ph.D. candidate at Portland State University where he is researching the role of churches in neighborhood change. In addition to advancing his dissertation research, Dave will help connect the philanthropic/non-profit sector with academic research in community and economic development during his time at the Trust. Beyond his work in the nonprofit sector, Dave has over 20 years of experience in the high-tech industry, 8 years in the energy efficiency emerging technology field, and 5 years board-level experience with faith-based non-profits. He holds a B.S in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan, and an M.B.A from Portland State University.

Gene comes from serving as president of the Duke Endowment, one of the nation’s leading philanthropies, based in Charlotte, NC. Cochrane joined the Endowment in 1980 after serving as a hospital administrator. At the Endowment, he served as director of health care and as executive vice president prior to becoming president in 2005. Gene brings leadership and knowledge of health care, one of the areas served by the Murdock Trust. He also serves on the board of the Council of Foundations, the Kate B. Reynolds Trust and as former board chair of Grantmakers in Health. Read his full bio

Cam is an artist and a writer. He currently serves as the executive director for Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA), a position that he has held since February 2009. Prior to joining CIVA, Cam served on the staff of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for thirty years and from 1994 to 2009 he was national director for the organization’s Graduate & Faculty Ministries. Cam earned his M.F.A. at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and completed additional graduate study in art history and art criticism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His book, The Faithful Artist: A Vision for Evangelicalism and the Arts, was published by InterVarsity Press in 2016. He is married to Cynthia (C.K.) Anderson. They live in Madison, Wisconsin, and have two adult children, Jesse and Emilie. Watch this video about Cam

Hunter came to the Trust to work on his dissertation, “Man Up: Muscular Christianity and the Making of 20th-Century American Religion.” He is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Missouri and has his M.A. in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and a B.A. in history from the University of Arkansas. Read his full bio

Makoto is an artist, writer, and speaker who is recognized around the world as a cultural shaper. Read his full bio Watch the Golden Sea video

Michael holds a B.A. in Communications, an M.A. in Counseling, and is a Ph.D. candidate at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is researching how to better engage young people in peace, justice, and change processes. He has invested time in 40 countries and started The Asha Forum, which helps coordinate and expand the global Christian response to human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. He currently serves as senior partner of children and youth at Breakthrough Partners, and as the founder and director of Just Children. Michael has special interest in programs, projects, and organizations that engage in capacity building of international leadership. Michael states, “Overcoming big issues like human trafficking, poverty, civil war, natural disaster recovery, displaced people, and so many other issues requires effective partnerships in a dynamic and interconnected world. Such partnerships do not easily come together nor stay together. There are sets of factors that work against a partnership in each stage of its development and practices that can be implemented to overcome those obstacles. There is much to learn about how to explore, develop and sustain effective partnerships. Identifying, mentoring, and promoting the development of such skill sets are critical for the future. They can be applied in a variety of settings and help save time, money, energy and achieve things that are only possible when we work together. I am eager to continue my research and contribute in any way I can to the work of the Trust and its constituencies.” Read Mike McGill’s recent work on nurturing young peacebuilders — “Children and Youth Perpetuating Violence or Our Hope For Peace“

Henry joined the Trust to work on a variety of special investment and finance projects. He holds an M.B.A. from Yale School of Management and was most recently a partner in an investment management firm.

As director of university ministry at Gonzaga University and a member of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), Fr. Ganz assisted the Trust in its “Vision and Call” internship program and other leadership initiatives. “Fr. Ganz is one of the outstanding educators in the region and we were fortunate to have him serve to advance our thinking and work in these areas,” said Steve Moore, the Trust’s executive director.

Dr. Mayer, associate professor and chair of the Chemistry Department at the University of Portland, served as visiting scholar with the Trust during the 2009-2010 academic year. Dr. Mayer has a Ph.D. in physical chemistry and was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington. He is a research grant recipient from the National Science Foundation, the American Chemical Society, and the Murdock College Science Research Program. During his time as a visiting scholar, Dr. Mayer established a dialogue with industry leaders, educators, philanthropic leaders, and legislative leaders to impact STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education through innovative pedagogical programs at predominantly undergraduate institutions. He also assisted the Trust in providing an audit of innovative foundation efforts in science education. Executive Summary: Educating Future Science Faculty for Careers at Predominately Undergraduate Institutions

Harold is currently the President Emeritus of Christianity Today, an organization he led as Editor, President and CEO for more than 35 years. Harold graduated from the University of Michigan and conducted graduate studies at the Michigan State University Graduate School of Journalism. Harold will provide valuable insight into the current state of the faith-based community at a national level and the ways in which philanthropy invests and supports the critical work being done in communities with mental health organizations and with the formerly incarcerated and their families.

Dan joins the Trust following an extensive leadership career supporting Northwest nonprofits such as All Hands Raised where he served as CEO for more than a decade, Oregon Ballet Theatre and Portland State University. A graduate of the University of Oregon, Dan conducted graduate study at New School University. As a Visiting Fellow, Dan will provide valuable insight to the Trust regarding board and leadership development needs and opportunities throughout the region as well as participate in conversations with nonprofit organizations serving the Portland-metro and broader Pacific Northwest.

Shannon is a Professor and Chair of the Physics Department at the University of Portland, where she has served on the faculty for 19 years. Passionate about advancing the mission of faith-based higher education and the sciences, Shannon will help support the Trust in a variety of projects and convenings related to the interplay between science and faith. The co-editor of a recent collection of essays by University of Portland faculty about transformative university teaching titled: Awaken the Stars: Reflections on what we really teach, Shannon holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Oregon State University and a B.S. in Physics from Pacific Lutheran University.