Berkey received a B.A. in mathematics from Muskingum College in 1969, an M.A. in mathematics from Miami University in 1971, and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Cincinnati in 1974. He taught at Miami University for one year before joining Boston University as an assistant professor of mathematics in 1974. He chaired the Department of Mathematics from 1978 to 1983, when he joined the central administration. From 1987 to 2002, he was dean of Arts and Sciences, where his primary concerns were promoting excellence in teaching, recruiting outstanding faculty and reforming the liberal arts curriculum.