2022 Commencement Speaker

Robert Ballard, Ph.D. ’75, Hon. ’86

While perhaps best known for his 1985 discovery of the R.M.S. Titanic’s final resting place, Robert Ballard believes his most important discoveries were of hydrothermal vents and “black smokers” in the Galapagos Rift and East Pacific Rise in 1977 and 1979, along with the exotic life-forms living there.

As an ocean explorer, discoverer, and historian, he has made it possible for others to explore the ocean’s mysteries through his commitment to outreach programs, teaching, and service.

A pioneer in the development of deep-sea submersibles and remotely operated vehicle systems, Ballard has participated in more than 160 expeditions throughout his career. A professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, he founded the Ocean Exploration Trust in 2008 and acquired a ship of exploration, E/V Nautilus. He also developed the Inner Space Center at URI, an international hub for ocean science and education that uses cutting-edge technology to facilitate, support, and promote live ocean exploration around the globe in real time.

Ballard earned his doctorate in marine geology and geophysics from URI in 1974. Before returning to URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography in 2001, Ballard spent 30 years at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He was a commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve, serving from 1967 to 1997. He received the National Geographic Society’s prestigious Hubbard Medal for “extraordinary accomplishments in coaxing secrets from the world’s oceans and engaging students in the wonder of science” in 1996 and was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2014.