Who is Midshipman Gavin Potter from The Mote in God's Eye and what is their importance?

Gavin is a young man who is taken aboard the MacArthur during their refueling stop on Brigid. He is only sixteen years old and is from New Scotland. He proves to be an intelligent, well educated resource with valuable folklore information about the Mote in God's Eye. Potter, along with Staley and Whitbred, are part of one of the main subplots in the book.