Mark Samco '02 committed suicide early this month after several weeks of hospitalization for bipolar disorder. He was 25 years old.
Samco graduated with the Class of 2004 after taking two years off to deal with his bipolar disorder. In the weeks leading up to his death, Samco's symptoms intensified.
A psychology and brain sciences major, Samco developed an interest in cognitive disorders as an undergraduate and stayed in Hanover after graduation to serve as a research assistant for psychology professor Peter Tse. A research dynamo, Samco was an integral member of Tse's team, conducting groundbreaking work using diffusion tensor imaging to look for correlations between scores on creativity, schizotypy and other tests and anatomical brain structures.
"His passion for the project was contagious," Tse said. "It was in part a desire to understand and explore his own mind and suffering that fueled his drive and passion."
Samco's interests outside of his work were wide ranging. A lover of literature, Samco considered Wallace Stegner's novel, "The Angle of Repose," a particularly important influence on his life.
Stegner defines an "angle of repose" as the angle of an incline where a moving object comes to rest. In Samco's eulogy, his father, Rick Samco, told the crowd, "The angle of repose may be only a temporary point of equilibrium, but it is a place of rest nevertheless. Mark's understanding of this concept helped him to shape his life."
Samco's devotion to literature was rivaled by his dedication to political activism. A committed liberal, he worked tirelessly for Sen. John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign.
Mark was tied just as closely to Dartmouth College as he was to the Democratic Party. His long tenure at the College left him with a large network of close friends. Samco's friends and fellow members of The Tabard coed fraternity shared their grief on his facebook.com profile and at a memorial service held nearby in Vermont on Friday evening.
"It's a real loss to everyone who knew him that he's gone now," Christine Benally '06 said. "He touched people in a way that no one I'd ever met or have met since has."
Samco was diagnosed with bipolar disorder midway through his sophomore year. His particular case of the disorder did not respond to medication, and his sequences of mania and depression recurred more frequently than in many others.
Samco grew up and passed away in and around Portland, Ore. He is survived by his older sister Courtaney, his mother Martha and his father Rick.
