Dr. Robert & Rosemary Gray Biology, Ecology, Health Sciences

The Dr. Robert & Rosemary Gray Biology, Ecology, Health Sciences is created to encourage and support student athletes studying biology, ecology, health and related chemical sciences..

Criteria

1.Each recipient must be enrolled in and successfully complete a minimum of 12 credits per semester (Fall and Spring) and in good standing at Winona State University
2.Each recipient must be a student athlete participating in Warrior Athletics
3.Each recipient must be majoring in: biology, ecology, health or related chemical sciences
4.Preference shall be given to students who plan on pursing a graduate degree in one of the disciplines above
5.Each recipient may be a sophomore, junior, senior or fifth year senior
6.Each recipient must have GPA of3.0 or higher and meet course requirements
7.Each recipient must demonstrate financial need; however financial need should not be based solely on Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Biography/Motivation

Bob Gray earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Winona State University in 1964, a Masters degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Oregon in 1967, and a Ph.D. in zoology and ecology from Illinois State University in 1971. After teaching at Lake Erie College in Ohio and the University of North Dakota he joined the staff of Battelle, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories in 1973. Throughout his 26-year career with Battelle at many sites, Gray contributed to the national defense and solutions to the nation’s energy problems, all while protecting the environment. He authored more than 275 book chapters, open literature, and symposium articles, and edited eight books. Gray served as a member of international delegations, including the American Institute of Fisheries Research Biologists delegation to East Asia and the International Atomic Energy Agency Scientific Panel on environmental monitoring. He also served as a mentor or major professor to graduate students from the University of Minnesota and Washington State University. Many of his students have gone on to establish impressive careers and publication records of their own. Gray is now an independent consultant. His many projects include evaluating the potential environmental effects of construction and operation of an incinerator designed to dispose of nerve agent on a U.S. Army base, and studying water quality problems in the semi-arid Southwest U.S. He also is using some of the data collected during his graduate studies at Illinois State to answer questions surrounding the worldwide decline of amphibians and observations of increased amphibian malformations.

“My experience at Winona State University helped prepare me for a career that involved teaching, research and management in the environmental arena. I was fortunate to attend at a time when the faculty believed in teaching excellence and instilling self-motivation in students, and supported student athletics. The faculty was always available for consultation· on any issue, served as mentors and role models, and I never felt like a number in somebody’s grade book. I would like other student athletes interested in the sciences to have the same opportunities and experience which is the reason for this endowment.”