“David Ruff is a graduate of the US Naval Academy.  A retired Captain, his nuclear submarine career included command of USS LOUISIANA (SSBN 743).  He joined the Nautical Archaeology Program in 2011, concentrating in Old World Seafaring and Ship Construction.

During his Studies at Texas A&M University, Dave participated in numerous survey and underwater excavation projects in Croatia and Albania.  His dissertation project, excavation, reconstruction and analysis of a scuttled Roman-era ship scuttled near Salona (Gulf of Kaštela, Croatia), was supported by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology’s Claude Duthuit Archaeology grant.  His advisor and committee chair was Dr. Cemal Pulak.  Dave has been an INA Research Associate since 2015.

After earning his PhD, Dave has continued to work in the Mediterranean, serving as Lead Archaeologist for five Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) partner projects, in association with the RPM Nautical Foundation.  He resides with his wife Marla in Raleigh, NC.”