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Personal statement from Dr. Darrow...

Shortly before graduating from the University of Connecticut with an undergraduate degree in economics, I saw a dog-eared mimeographed notice for a job with the New York City Health Department tacked up on a bulletin board.  It didn't look at all to me like anything I wanted to do, so I signed up thinking the interview would be good practice for a job I really wanted.  The interviewer told me it was an opportunity to work with diverse sociocultural groups in New York City on a public health problem that they were going to address very seriously-- and that was the eradication of syphilis.  The Health Department was looking for idealistic people who would walk the streets of New York to find people who might be infected and refer them for treatment.  I said I'd give it a shot.  And I found the work fascinating.

After two years in New York, I was offered a job with the CDC in Atlanta.  At the CDC my work primarily focused on the social variables of sexually transmitted diseases, especially among gay men.  My early work on condom use and diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhea shifted abruptly with the eruption of HIV/AIDS in 1981.  I was assigned to the CDC task force on the disease, and since that time I essentially have devoted my career to the study and eradication of HIV/AIDS.

After 31 years at the CDC, I accepted a position at FIU so I could continue my research and to work with graduate students.  Since 1999, I have utilized a REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) Award from the CDC to fund a project for "Eliminating Disparities in HIV Diseases in Broward County," Florida.  While there remains much to be done in combating HIV/AIDS and to narrow the gap in health disparities, I find it rewarding to work on exciting projects at FIU.

Brief Biography on Dr. Darrow...

Bill Darrow is a Professor of Public Health at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida.  He teaches graduate-level courses  in the College of Health and Urban Affairs on theories of health behavior, community organization for health promotion, program planning and evaluation, and survey research methods in public health. 

He serves as Principal Investigator for a multi-million dollar HIV- prevention project and continues to conduct research and publish on the social and behavioral aspects of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Before accepting a position at FIU in August 1994, Bill served as Chief, Behavioral and Prevention Research Branch, Division of STD/HIV Prevention, National Center for Prevention Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  He has published over 100 scientific papers in professional journals, books, and research monographs.  In addition, he has presented more than 100 scientific papers at national and international meetings, and has consulted with many professional and service organizations, including the Global Program on AIDS, the World Health Organization, and the European Union.

Bill Darrow was recognized for his lifetime contributions to science and humanity by his hometown of Norwich, Connecticut, in 1992 when he was presented with their "Native Son" Award.  In 1993, he received the Award for Sociological Practice from the Society for Applied Sociology.  In 1994, he accepted the Thomas Parran Award from the American Venereal Disease Association.  In 1996, he was the sole recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award given by his alma mater, the University of Connecticut.  In 1998, Bill Darrow and his colleagues were selected by the Editors of the Journal of Sex Research to receive the Hugo Beigel Award for the best original research article published in their peer-review journal.

His role in demonstrating the sexual transmission of the AIDS virus was described by Randy Shilts in “And the Band Played On.” His character was portrayed by Richard Masur in the Emmy-Award winning motion picture of the same name.  He can be seen playing himself in “The Zero Factor,” part one of the four-part documentary, “A Time of AIDS” (shown most recently on the Discovery Channel). In 1999, Bill appeared in the ZDF German Television series, “100 Moments of the 20th Century,” to talk about the extent of scientific knowledge about AIDS in 1985, and how that knowledge evolved from a series of scientific studies planned and conducted by Bill Darrow and his colleagues at CDC.

Education
B.A., cum laude, Economics, University of Connecticut, 1962 M.A., Sociology, University of New Hampshire, 1968
Ph.D., Sociology, Emory University, 1973y

Experience
Public Health Advisor (1962-1968), Research Sociologist (1968-1999), and Chief, Behavioral and Prevention Research Branch, Division of STD/HIV Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1999-2004)

Courses
Community Organization for Health Promotion, Program Development and Evaluation, Survey Research Methods, and The New Public Health

Research
Primary areas of research are: (1) social and behavioral aspects of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, (2) community-level interventions for behavior change, and (3) program evaluation.

Interests
I like to ride my old rusty bicycle through Miami Beach, swim in the ocean, and “shoot hoops” with my 8-year-old son, Dries.

Quote
Don’t get angry, get even (Animal House)