Berger studies extreme species in extreme places, doing long-term field work in some of the remotest regions of Africa, Asia, and North America on some of the most difficult-to-study mammals threatened by climate change. These include black rhinos, muskoxen, and wild yaks and many others.

Berger is the Barbara Cox Anthony University Chair of Wildlife Conservation at Colorado State University. He is also a longtime Senior Scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society, and before joining CSU, he held the position of John J. Craighead Chair of Wildlife Conservation at the University of Montana.

Berger is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences. He also is the author of several books and the recipient of numerous awards, including a lifetime achievement recognition from the prestigious Aldo Leopold Conservation Award in 2013.

Berger earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from California State University, Northridge, in 1974 and 1975, respectively, and his Ph.D. in biology from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1978.