Our Team
Dr. Eun Ah Cho
Title: Dean of the Gordon-Conwell Institute and Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies
First Year at Gordon-Conwell: 2020
Expertise: Leadership Development, Missional Leadership, Leading Change, Collaborative and Reflective Adult Learning and Mentoring
Biography:
Dr. Cho comes from the School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary where she was Assistant Professor of Intercultural Leadership. She had been teaching in both the Korean and English language programs. Previously Dr. Cho taught in Korea at the Asian Center for Theological Studies and Mission where she taught intercultural studies and the Bible and Christian mission.
Prior to that, Dr. Cho and her husband trained new Christian leaders and planted a multicultural church in Kokshetau, Kazakhstan. In this context she used Russian, Korean and English languages.
Dr. Cho did her undergraduate studies in St. Petersburg, Russia at the Russian State Pedagogical University where she majored in Russian philology. She did both her masters’ and doctoral work in the School of World Mission at Fuller Theological Seminary. Her family is from Korea, but she was raised mostly in Canada.
She is a seasoned missionary who will oversee the planning and coordination of all of our centers under the Ockenga Institute. She will be the first Korean woman on the President’s cabinet and will help in our ministry to Korean churches, both in Korea and the United States. She is not only a scholar and creative leader, but also a poet who has penned one of the most popular Korean praise songs: 하나님의 은혜 (Hananimui Eunhye: “Grace of God”).”
Degrees
- Ph.D. Intercultural Studies – Fuller Theological Seminary
- M.A. Intercultural Studies – Fuller Theological Seminary
- B.A. Russian Philology – Russian State Pedagogical University
Dr. Valerie J. Gin
Title: Executive Director
Biography:
Prior to coming to GCI, Val was Professor, Chair of Kinesiology at a private college in New England. She is a two-time recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Award, recipient of multiple Coach of the Year Awards, and is an international consultant, speaker and author.
Val has travelled the globe collaborating with partners and lecturing in over 25 countries. She has published numerous articles and book chapters, and co-authored two books: Focus on Sport in Ministry (2004) and When Girls Became Lions (2015). Gin is the founding co-chair of the Sports and Christianity Group, which wrote the “Declaration on Sport and Christian Life,” and founder and co-editor of the Journal of Christian Society of Kinesiology and Leisure Studies. Val serves on several non-profit boards and is an annual facilitator at a Sport Leadership School in Stellenbosch South Africa.
Val enjoys reading, fishing, hiking, skiing and team sports.
Degrees
- Ed.D. Human Movement Boston University
- M.S. Social Psychology Eastern Illinois University
- B.S. Education Greenville University