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| John and Karen Gray show their thanks by giving back to the University in a number of ways. |
Karen (Schmidt) Gray, ’82, knew her husband had been working too many hours at his internal medicine residency when one day at the newlyweds’ apartment, John fell asleep with a cup of coffee in his hand, spilling the much-needed caffeinated beverage all over himself.
“Residency was a huge time commitment, and I think that’s the part I remember most,” said John Gray, MD ’87. “It was common to work 36-hour shifts. Now there are restrictions on hours worked. When my class went through, there wasn’t any of that.”
John’s hard work has paid off, however. After completing his residency at Hennepin County Medical Center in 1991, he joined Kidney Specialists of Minnesota, which today operates four clinics and 30 dialysis centers in the Minneapolis area. The number of physicians has doubled since John began working there, and he has served as president of the group the past five years. He has also been named a Top Doctor in the Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine the past six years, an honor bestowed after polling doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals in the area.
John credits UND for much of his success. “I always wanted to go to medical school,” he said. “I didn’t think I had it in me. I didn’t think I was smart enough. That’s why I have such a strong feeling of indebtedness, because the university gave me an opportunity that I don’t know I would’ve gotten elsewhere.”
John and Karen have since decided to give back to the University of North Dakota in a number of ways. John has dedicated his time as a member of the University’s National Campaign Steering Committee. He and Karen have also created a scholarship to support SMHS medical students. “I know how much an education costs and how much a scholarship helps,” John said. The couple supports UND athletics through the Fighting Sioux Club. Plus, they gave a generous gift to help build the Gorecki Alumni Center, for which ground was broken in May and which will be completed in the fall of 2012.
Located west of the Chester Fritz Auditorium on the Grand Forks campus, the new 30,000-square-foot, $12 million alumni center will house offices, meeting rooms, and a community room on three levels. Currently, the UND Alumni Association and UND Foundation are housed in two separate buildings: the J. Lloyd Stone House and the Strinden Center. Both groups will move into the new facility, which will be more accessible for visiting alumni. “I think it’s important for alums to go back and have a place to call home,” John said. Karen added, “I think UND needed a bigger, more modern facility to accommodate its growing alumni base. It’ll be a definite asset and a nice place to connect.”
