B.S. School of Nursing, University of Michigan, 1995
M.S. College of Nursing, Michigan State University, 1998
Alumni Service Award: Presented to Michigan State University alumni who have demonstrated service to MSU and/or meritorious public service on a local, state, national or international level.
She’s an experienced volunteer nurse, a champion of global healthcare and a Spartan.
For Kathryn Gray, the drive to serve has been a lifelong, international affair. Her global approach to community development and teamwork has allowed her to impact communities near and far. Gray values people – all people – and has dedicated her life making tangible and impactful improvements to the healthcare industry in areas including HIV and AIDS, Advance Directive medical policy, accessibility to care, trauma care and medical teaching practices, pharmacology education and maternity and birthing care for mothers.
Inspired by her Aunt Brenda, Gray’s passion for caring began at an early age. Throughout her childhood, she pored over nursing textbooks, enamored with this newfound world of nursing. There was no other future for Gray — she knew she would be a nurse.
She earned a Master of Nursing from MSU and is a clinical instructor for Michigan State's Global Health Institute. Her experiences with the university provided clinical practice, specialized focus, mentorship opportunities with medical and nursing students, and — above all — an introduction to a community of mission-driven and service-minded Spartans.
In Zambia, 2004 she helped screen more than 800 children for HIV and AIDS. In 2007, Gray resigned from her nurse practitioner position to volunteer as hospitalist aboard the Mercy Ship, MV Anastasis, serving the people of Liberia who had been enduring a 17-year civil war.
Most recently, Gray developed new skills for empowering communities. As part of Soaring Unlimited, Haiti a nonprofit dedicated to improving quality of life in Haiti, she and her team listened to community members and leaders as they explained their needs. She was instrumental in raising funds and writing grants for the development of the first birthing center and pharmacology tech program in the area. The nexus between Gray’s team and the Haitian community is life-changing — Haitian mothers will have safer births, their babies will grow up stronger and the community will be healthier as a whole.
Aimee Klevorn“One of the most important pieces of a team is partnership — when someone’s down, someone else is up and you can support each other through difficult moments.”
Who will step up? Spartans Will.