by Mike Matzinger
Dr. Lee Berger is a renowned paleoanthropologist whose groundbreaking discoveries have reshaped our understanding of human evolution. In 1991, Berger and his team uncovered early hominid remains at Gladysvale, marking the first such discovery in Southern Africa since 1948.
Berger’s work has earned widespread recognition. In 1997, he received the inaugural National Geographic Society Prize for Research and Exploration, followed by the first Friedel Sellschop Award for Young Researchers in 1999. His discoveries have been featured repeatedly in popular media, including appearances on the National Geographic Channel, and his research has twice been cited by Discover magazine as among the top 100 science stories of the year. Most notably, his discovery of Homo naledi brought him to the cover of National Geographic in 2015.
Raised on a farm outside the rural community of Sylvania, Georgia, Berger achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and later earned a degree from Georgia Southern University before attending Harvard University. He then pursued doctoral studies at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. Beyond his research, Berger has contributed to numerous scientific and conservation organizations, including the Palaeoanthropological Scientific Trust, the Jane Goodall Trust South Africa, and the Royal Society of South Africa.
While working as a news photographer in Savannah, Georgia, in 1987, he abandoned his camera to rescue a drowning woman, earning him the Scouting America’s Honor Medal.