The 1992 Norwich Native Son was AIDS researcher William Darrow, PhD. He served as Chief of the Behavioral and Prevention Research Branch, Division of STD/HIV Prevention, at the National Center for Prevention Services of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Darrow has published over 130 scientific papers in professional journals, books, and research monographs. He has presented more than 100 papers at national and international meetings and has consulted with many organizations, including the Global Program on AIDS, the World Health Organization
His role in the discovery of the AIDS virus, HIV, was described by Randy Shilts’ 1987 book And the Band Played On. Darrow also appeared in “The Zero Factor,” part one of the four-part documentary, A Time of AIDS, which was shown on the Discovery Channel.
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.
He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut. UConn presented Darrow with the Distinguished Alumni Award.
William Darrow is currently a is a Professor of Public Health at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida.