Robert D. Ballard, the adventuresome scientist who...

Robert D. Ballard, the adventuresome scientist who discovered the sunken treasures of the Titanic ocean liner, as well as the Bismarck battleship, will tell of his deep-sea exploits Monday at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont.

Ballard is considered one of the world’s leading marine geologists. In a 1986 National Geographic account of his Titanic discovery, he wrote that his lifelong dream was to see the ship.

“The stark sight of her immense black hull towering above the ocean floor will remain forever ingrained in my memory,” he said of his first look.

Concerned that U.S. education is falling behind in schooling young people on the importance of the sciences, Ballard will present the lecture, “Exploring the Underwater World: A Pathway to Science Education.”

Before the talk, Clifford A. Miller, Mudd board chairman, will present Ballard with the school’s Wright Prize for interdisciplinary study.

Ballard is senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod, Mass.

Harvey Mudd College is at Dartmouth Avenue, south of Foothill Boulevard. There is no admission charge for the event, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in Galileo Hall.