Theme: Mosaic Minds

Our theme, Mosaic Thinking, celebrates the beauty and power of combining diverse thoughts, experiences, and perspectives to create transformative results. Much like a mosaic, where each unique piece finds its place in a grander design, our ideas and individual stories come together to reveal a more profound, unified picture. Through this lens, we acknowledge that every seemingly unrelated insight, every distinct experience, contributes to a larger narrative—one that shapes us not only as individuals but as a connected community.

Gatton Student Center Grand Ballroom
160 Ave of Champions
Lexington, Kentucky, 40508
United States

Adria Thompson

Speech-Language Pathologist

Adria Thompson, MA, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist and lecturer in the Communication Disorders program at Eastern Kentucky University. With 10 years of experience in long-term care communities, she specializes in dementia education and caregiver support. As the founder of Be Light Care Consulting, Adria has created over 500 educational videos that provide practical, evidence-based strategies to improve dementia care. Her social media platforms have grown to over 400,000 followers, offering compassionate and accessible education to help families navigate the challenges of dementia.

Christal Badour

Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Christal Badour is a clinical psychologist, researcher, educator, and staunch advocate for survivors of violence and other forms of trauma. She co-founded the University of Kentucky Clinic for Emotional Health, which offers free science-backed therapy in line with the value that all people should have access to the highest quality mental health care, regardless of their identity, culture, geographical location, insurance status, or ability to pay. Dr. Badour uses her platform as an Associate Professor to support the next generation of young clinicians, scholars, and activists to develop the tools necessary to challenge systems that perpetuate violence and create barriers to recovery.

David Hague

Director of the Community Mental Health Clinic

Dr. David Pascale Hague earned his PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kentucky in 2015. He is an assistant professor in Counseling Psychology and is the Director of the Community Mental Health Clinic in the College of Education. Dr. Hague teaches ethics, practicum, and psychopathology courses for master’s and doctoral students. He is a licensed psychologist in Kentucky, maintains a small private practice, and sits on the board of the Kentucky Psychological Foundation. Additionally, he is the current liaison for LGBTQIA issues with APA Division 31 (State, Provincial, and Territorial Associations). Dr. Pascale Hague’s clinical and research interests focus on working with sexual, relationship, and gender minority groups.

L. Sebastian Bryson

Department Chair of Civil Engineering

Dr. L. Sebastian Bryson is the current Hardin-Drnevich-Huang Professor of Civil Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering with a joint appointment in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Bryson is also the current Department Chair for the Department of Civil Engineering. Dr. Bryson’s current research interests focus on landslide geohazard assessment and prediction, and multi-hazard response of infrastructure systems. Dr Bryson is a Fellow in the American Society of Civil Engineers. Dr. Bryson is also a Board-Certified Geotechnical Engineer by the Academy of Geo-Professionals. Dr Bryson received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University, his Master of Engineering degree from Howard University, and his Bachelor of Science degree from Florida A&M University. Dr. Bryson is a registered professional engineer in six states.

Marc Cormier

Performance Psychologist Specialist

Dr. Marc Cormier is an award-winning performance psychology specialist with nearly 20 years of experience working in elite environments. He is an Associate Professor and Director of the Sport and Exercise Psychology Graduate Program at the University of Kentucky and serves as the Director of Performance Psychology for UK Athletics. Throughout his career, he has worked with numerous NCAA championship teams, as well as All-American and Olympic athletes/champions. More recently, he has been invited to speak to audiences in various non-sport performance contexts such as surgeons, performance artists, emergency responders, and Fortune 500 leaders.

Stephen Seidel

Founder of The Seidel Agency

Stephen Seidel is a motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and founder of the award-winning Seidel Agency, amplifying artists and Fortune 500 changemakers. As a best-selling author, creator of the Top 10 Apple podcast Wolves Among Us, and men's mental health community GentsJourney.co, he is driven by a mission to do good, give back, and make an impact by owning your story. Seidel is originally from Bucks County, PA, and lives in Lexington, KY as a proud #GirlDad. With a BSIE from Penn State, he remains loyal to cheesesteaks, pretzels, and his Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles.