Dr. Brian Fikkert is the Founder and Executive Director of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College, where he also serves as a Professor of Economics and Community Development. Dr. Fikkert earned a Ph.D. "with distinction" in economics from Yale University, specializing in Third World economic development and international economics. Dr. Fikkert has been a consultant to the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the United States Agency for International Development. Prior to coming to Covenant College, he was a professor at the University of Maryland and a research fellow at the Center for Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector. Dr. Fikkert is in demand as a speaker and has numerous academic and popular publications, the most recent being When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself.