Inspiring scholarship, investing in education and supporting underrepresented communities are among the top priorities for the Murdock Trust team. Through our grantmaking and enrichment programs, we work year-round to serve groups across the Pacific Northwest that work tirelessly to educate young people in our region, and we’re always looking for opportunities for collaboration with partners and nonprofits to help meet the various needs in communities in our region. As we continue to move forward in this mission, we are pleased and grateful to share that Jesse Richards will join the team as a visiting scholar in 2018.
In his work with the Trust, Jesse will focus on cultivating young leaders from diverse backgrounds in 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. He also holds an M.A. from Acadia University, an M.A. from Western Seminary, and a B.A. from Faith Lutheran College. In recognition of both his academic achievements and commitment to the Methodist tradition, he was recently named a John Wesley Fellow by A Foundation for Theological Education.
In addition to his work with the Murdock Trust, Jesse currently serves as the International Network Coordinator for the Student Advisory Board of the Society of Biblical Literature, where he coordinates with both European and majority world leaders on various projects related to biblical and theological education.
We’re thrilled to welcome Jesse to the Murdock family and excited to see the fruits of his contributions to our organization and to the organizations we serve across the Pacific Northwest.
