Two geographers will give presentations Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in Room 3040 of the Physical Science Building.

The Department of Geology and Geography is hosting Margaret Gripshover and Thomas Bell as part of the department’s colloquium series.

Michael Cornebise, the interim associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said the first half hour of the event will be a reception, giving everyone a chance to meet the guest speakers.

According to an email sent by Diane Burns, chair of the Department of Geology and Geography, Gripshover is a professor of geography at Western Kentucky University, and Bell is professor emeritus of geography at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Cornebise said Gripshover’s presentation, “Buried in Bitterness: Dislocated Memorialization, Topophilia and the Blue Grass Army Depot Reinterment Cemeteries,” will consist of a cultural geographic piece on cemeteries.

Cornebise said Bell’s presentation, “Take Me Out to the Beer Game: How Breweries and Minor League Baseball Turn the Neolocal Double-Play,” will interest those with a fascination for beer and baseball.

“The main audience is geology and geography (students), but everyone is invited,” Cornebise said. “The topics are broad enough, so they’ll appeal to (everyone).”

Cornebise said all students will benefit from the presentations, but especially the geology and geography students.

“These are folks who have done a lot of research, and they are very knowledgeable about these topics,” he said. “Students will be able to learn quite a bit.”

Cornebise said the reception is a good way to meet the pair and chat with them before the presentations begin.

“I would encourage people to come to the reception, because that’s a chance to meet them and talk to them,” he said. “They are both friendly people and more than happy to talk to students.”

Hannah Shillo can be reached at 581-2812 or hlshillo@eiu.edu.