Desert Research Institute to honor Titanic discoverer
RENO -- Robert Ballard, who led the international team that found the Titanic in 1985, has won the Desert Research Institute's 2010 Nevada Medal.
Ballard will give presentations at award dinners on April 20 in Reno and April 22 in Las Vegas.
The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage in international waters on April 15, 1912. A total of 1,522 people died after it struck ice in the Atlantic Ocean.
While best known for locating the Titanic, Ballard also discovered other legendary lost ships, including the German battleship Bismarck, John F. Kennedy's PT-109 and the USS Yorktown, the aircraft carrier that sank in the Battle of Midway during World War II.
DRI President Stephen Wells praised Ballard, calling him one of the world's most accomplished deep-sea explorers.
The institute is the research arm of Nevada's higher education system
Established by DRI in 1988, the Nevada Medal acknowledges outstanding achievement in science and engineering.
The annual award includes a medallion minted from Nevada silver and a $20,000 lecture honorarium.
