PHOTO PROVIDED WPSU Senior Producer Kristian Berg was among 12 inductees welcomed into the NATAS Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Silver Circle Society on Sept. 20.

UNIVERSITY PARK — Kristian Berg, a senior producer for WPSU and 36-year veteran of public media, has been inducted into the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Silver Circle Society. The honor was presented at a Regional Emmy Awards gala in Philadelphia on Sept. 20.

The Mid-Atlantic Chapter inducted 12 television professionals into the Silver Circle Society, an honor society that recognizes significant contributions by individuals in the broadcast industry for 25 years or more.

For more than three decades, Berg has worked for PBS stations, including 16 with WPSU. While he said his career in television was sparked by an 8mm movie camera, his love for public media developed while working as a producer on “Newton’s Apple” at Twin Cities Public Television in St. Paul, Minnesota. Berg said the show encouraged a creative approach to making science fun and interesting for a general audience.

“I didn’t have a science background, but this creative freedom was a big carrot, and I found I loved the work,” Berg said. “When the WPSU position opened I thought Penn State would be a good fit. I had worked at two large public media stations before WPSU, but never one that was an outreach service of a major university.”

At Penn State, Berg has contributed to educational projects such as “Science-U at Home,” “Finding Your Roots: The Seedlings” and “Mission: Materials Science,” produced in partnership with the Eberly College of Science, the College of the Liberal Arts and the Penn State Center for Nanoscale Technology. His short documentary, “Healing the Red Mo,” was nominated for a NATAS Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Award and highlights the work of community activists and engaged students and researchers battling the environmental plague of acid mine drainage in central Pennsylvania.

Berg said one of the more bizarre yet rewarding experiences was when he helped make the Nittany Lion Shrine come to life.

“The vision took finding a few collaborators to help bring it to fruition including a visual effects company from Los Angeles,” Berg said. “It debuted during a home game on the jumbotron at Beaver Stadium. The spot aired during Penn State football games and won a Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award.”

Berg is currently working on a documentary about the Whiskey Rebellion.

“Historical documentaries are another big part of my career,” Berg said. “The Whiskey Insurrection of 1791-1794 is a Pennsylvania story of national importance that’s never been told on public television.”

Follow Berg on a film shoot with celebrities such as American actress Betty White, travel with him to learn more about sustainable energy in Kenya, or see how advocates are addressing acid mine drainage along the banks of the Red Mo in this blog article.

WPSU-TV, a PBS member station, serves 24 counties in central Pennsylvania and reaches 515,000 households, and WPSU-FM, an NPR member station, is accessible to more than 450,000 listeners in 13 counties. The public media station also includes WPSU Digital Studios, which offers original web series that explore science, arts and culture.

WPSU is a service of Penn State Outreach.