Bob Bertsch, Web technology specialist in Ag Communication, received the individual Working Differently in Extension award at the eXtension National Conference in Sacramento, Calif.

The Working Differently awards recognized one individual and one team for their engagement with clientele, co-workers and others in new and different ways.

Bertsch has created a Working Differently website at www.ag.ndsu.edu/workingdifferently where he explains transformational education, shares data and ideas to challenge Extension faculty and staff, discusses roles for Extension professionals, suggests ways staff can move forward and provides links to many resources.

Bertsch’s Working Differently in Extension podcasts at www.ag.ndsu.edu/agcomm/web-services/working-differently-in-extension-podcast have a national following. In each 30-minute podcast, he interviews an Extension professional who is truly working differently. His interviewees are from across the country.

Bertsch conceptualized and provided leadership to NDSU Ag Communication’s first two Communications Camps, and he has led development of multiple phone apps. He has led state and national Twitter cohorts for immersive learning and multiple webinars. Bertsch is active in the national Network Literacy Community of Practice and is an advocate for personal learning networks.

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.