In honor of Earth Day, a nationally-known geologist will visit campus today to draw interest to the environment.

Robert G. Corbett , vice president of the professional geologist association, will give a speech titled “Following the footsteps of John Wesley” at 7 p.m. Monday in Phipps Auditorium in the Physical Science Building.

“Corbitt is a certified professional geologist, an Illinois licensed professional geologist and the former chair of the Illinois department of geology and geography,” Bob Jorstad, professor of geology, said in a press release.

Because today is Earth Day, the geology department decided a discussion of the Grand Canyon would be a good way to “call attention to the Earth,” Jorstad said.

The speech is named after one of the earliest geologists in the United States, Jorstad said.

“One of the things that (John Wesley) Powell is really known for, besides being a one-armed Civil War Veteran, is being one of the first people to go down the Colorado River to the Grand Canyon,” Jorstad said.

Jorstad said that Corbitt’s speech will not only be about John Wesley Powell, but also about how the Grand Canyon is an environmental heritage site.

Corbitt has also been involved with several trips down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, a press release said.

At 4 p.m. Monday, Corbitt will meet with geology majors in the Physical Science Building to talk about licensing in Illinois, Jorstad said.

Many people don’t realize that geologists are licensed to decipher if something is environmentally safe or not, just as medical doctors or dentists are licensed in their professions, Jorstad said.