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Robert Bergantino—2006 Lifetime Distinguished Researcher Photo: Robert Bergantino (L) accepting award from Dr. Joe Figueira, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research.He has been at Montana Tech for 32 years. He has a broad range of experience in geological mapping. He started his career with the US Navy mapping the ocean floor of the Gulf of Mexico to better detect Soviet submarines. Along the way he discovered the Mexican Ridges off the east coast of central Mexico and their associated oil fields. He then returned to his native Montana to begin work on the newly identified Saline seep problem. His knowledge with computer based mapping and analysis lead to an interest in ground water mapping and modeling and the development of the best groundwater mapping project in the United States.
Along the way, starting in 1970 while still with the Navy, he became interested in the project for which the general public knows him best – the route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. His investigative and mapping work over the years have lead to a much better knowledge of the route of the expedition and have lead archeologists to correct sites and new finds. The exact location of the Travelers Rest camp near Lolo, Montana was determine by his findings and is now the site on Montana’s newest State Park.
He is a prolific author with 150 publications and open file reports to his credit. He holds a degree from University of Montana-Missoula in Geology.
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