Samson Darrah honored as Homecoming Scholar

Each year, the UW Alumni Association is proud to honor six exceptional students across the UW’s Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma campuses whose stories exemplify Husky adaptability, tenacity, and resolve. Each student is awarded a $6,000 scholarship and recognized at the Homecoming football game in the Fall.

Samson Darrah, OD, is a PhD student in Bioengineering whose research bridges high-resolution ophthalmic imaging and genetics to better understand retinal diseases. He is being mentored by Assistant Professor Debarshi Mustafi, MD. PhD and Kren Associate Professor Ram Sabesan, PhD.

He was recently honored to become a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO). Fellowship in the AAO is one of the highest professional honors in the field of optometry and vision science. It is conferred on individuals who have demonstrated exceptional competence, dedication, and contributions to advancing eye and vision care through clinical practice, research, education, or public service. 

Dr. Darrah is passionate about building community for international and underrepresented students at the UW. Samson mentors students navigating research and scholarships, drawing from his journey to help them build confidence and access opportunities he once struggled to find. He also leads global health outreach through iCare Network International, a nonprofit he founded to expand access to vision care in underserved communities. Samson aims to make science more inclusive and improve health equity worldwide through research, mentorship and service.