Experience

Steve Berberich, president

Steve is a 25-year veteran journalist and science public affairs professional. He began as a garden columnist and he formed a horticultural company, Bayside Nurseries, while in still college.

Steve then covered earth sciences for such periodicals as Agriculture Research, Outdoor America, South (the Third World magazine), Earth Times, and American Farmland. He expanded his beat to cover news and feature stories for newspapers in the mid-Atlantic region on topics including NASA, medicine, genomic and biotechnology sciences, consumer’s technology issues, environmental protection, wildlife preservation, the politics of conservation, marine biology, and corporate pollution crime.

He has developed and applied public relations and marketing strategies for a national research agency, a leading state research institute, an international research institute associated with the World Bank, and non-profit associations. For the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Steve is widely recognized for improving the institute’s profile. He created the institute’s first annual reports, brochures, restyled an employee newsletter, researched and distributed press stories, wrote and produced videos and exhibits, directed the institute's first consistent-look websites, and organized highly successful media and conference events.

At the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Nigeria, Steve introduced the first press stories based on food and farming research for people at the village level in many parts of Africa, and produced a documentary on the Institute.

For the U.S. Department of Agriculture, he coordinated a campaign of news stories that helped preserve the nation’s premier agricultural research center from being lost to what many on both sides of the Congressional aile considered ill-conceived federal cuts.

Among his honors, Steve has won federal awards for outstanding publications, merit awards from both the USDA’s Black History Month Committee and Federal Women’s Excellence Committee, an Agriculture Secretary's award for outstanding coverage of the a Joint ARS/North Carolina State University Biotechnology Conference, and many special citations including one for directing a 20-year Earth Day celebration for special education children, a National Wildlife Federation NatureLink family award, and the Environmental Stewardship Award from the Maryland State Scenic Rivers Program, Md. DNR.

He is also a successful television producer. Steve is a graduate of the Phillip Merrill School of Journalism, University of Md..

Testimonials

"Mr. Berberich worked with Dr. (Theodor) Diener to research and write the book entitled The Naked Intruder, which tells the story of the viroid discovery. This book was a highlight of the dedication ceremony," Edward B. Knipling, Administrator, USDA Agricultural Research Service, on the opening of the ARS Plant Moleculr Biology Laboratory.

"I have worked with Steve for a number of years. In my view, he consistently displays outstanding abilities to relate science and its impact to the press, to the public, and....to groups of professionals," P.C. Kearney, Deputy Area Director, Natural Resources Institute, ARS, USDA.

"Mr. Berberich is an outstanding, intelligent and creative individual who exhibits a real passion and scientific knowledge, plus integrity in his work and responsibilities as a journalist," Jennie Hunter-Cevera, President, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute.

"Steve has consistently demonstrated an understanding of our work, along with a willingness to thoroughly research facts before reporting results. His approach was particularly effiective when he recently wrote, edited, and produced an outstanding video about our institute," Robert Gallo, Director, Institute of Human Virology, Baltimore, Md. (http://www.ihv.org/video.html)

"I regularly assigned articles related to health, science and the environment to Steve. He was a valuable asset because of his genuine interest and knowledge in these areas. He could write with ease and intelligence about complex scientific subjects," Barbara P. Kreisler, former managing editor, Sunday Journal (385,000 circ.), Washington,D.C.