Our guest on Episode 1 is Eric Lovell, a native of Sistersville, West Virginia. As an undergraduate at West Virginia University, Eric pursued his fascination with geography and mapping by studying geography while escaping Morgantown on the weekends to explore West Virginia’s hills and hollows. Keen to map things, Eric went on to receive a masters in geography from Ohio University and a PhD in geography from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he received the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship. Eric now works for ESRI, a leader in geographic information systems, or (GIS), and location intelligence. We’ll explore Eric’s childhood growing up in West Virginia, the role GIS plays in today’s world, and his views on socio-political factors impacting the state. Take a listen.