School of Social & Behavioral Sciences Seminar
Empower Change
Turning Struggle into Strength
Keynote: Damon West (11 a.m.)
Be a Coffee Bean
The power is inside you to change the world around you. Hear Damon West share his story about how he used the transformational power of a coffee bean to thrive in adversity and find an opportunity to grow.
Keynote: Dr. Kevin McCauley (9 a.m.)
The Dopamine Hypothesis
Since its introduction in the 2010 film Pleasure Unwoven, the “Periodic Table of the Intoxicants” continues to serve as a humorous yet accurate tool to summarize the central dogma of addiction neuroscience: The Dopamine Hypothesis. Dr. Kevin McCauley recently updated the Periodic Table to recognize the complex role dopamine plays in motivation, learning, and addiction and to include new intoxicants that appeared as the overdose epidemic evolved, particularly those among the cannabinoids, psychedelics, and synthetic opioids.
Kristi Hann & John Ordiway
From Wounds to Wisdom: Reprogramming Trauma for a Life Reimagined
This transformative session explores how the brain and body store trauma—and how we can consciously rewire those patterns to create a more empowered future. Through neuroscience, participants will learn practical tools to shift from survival mode into purposeful living. Discover how your deepest wounds can become the foundation of a life reimagined.
Terry Rogers
Calling Out the Biggest Liar You Know: Realize. Reframe. Rewrite. Rise.
Who is the biggest liar you know? Before you look around—look within. We all have an inner voice that tells half-truths, exaggerates our flaws, and limits what we believe is possible. But those stories aren’t facts. In this presentation, we’ll expose the lies we tell ourselves, challenge the narratives that keep us stuck, and learn how to reframe them into truth-telling tools for growth and confidence. If you want to experience the kind of empowerment that turns struggle into strength, start by changing your story.
Bios
Terry Rogers
Terry is a member of the communication faculty at Casper College, teaching courses in public speaking, interpersonal communication, persuasion, and small-group communication. He volunteers with youth and adults to provide coaching to help them find victory over the wreckage of bad life decisions. His greatest desire is that we could all have the authentic relationships that come with open, honest, and transparent communication.
Kristi Hann, RN, MS, CAP, LPC
Kristi is an addiction studies instructor at Casper College, where she teaches courses in addiction studies. With a career spanning over three decades in the helping field, she has specialized in addiction treatment since 2008. She currently serves as the Clinical Director at Wyoming Recovery, a residential substance abuse treatment facility, where she supports individuals on their path to recovery. This is Kristi’s third year at Casper College.
John Ordiway, MS, LPC, LAT
John is the Academic Chair for Addiction Studies, Psychology, Sociology, and Social Work. He is also the Clinical Director for the Wyoming Professional Assistance Program. He has worked in the fields of addiction treatment and mental health for the past 20+ years. This is John’s 13th year teaching full-time for Casper College, where he teaches courses in addiction studies and psychology.
Keynote
Damon West, M.S. in Criminal Justice
Keynote Speaker & Addiction, Recovery, and Behavioral Health Advocate
Damon West is a college professor, internationally known keynote speaker, three-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and former crime boss in Dallas who was sentenced to life in prison for organized crime. USA Today calls him the “modern day Shawshank Redemption and the most in-demand speaker in America.”
At 20 years old, he was a Division I starting quarterback at the University of North Texas when he suffered a career-ending injury and turned to hardcore drugs to cope with the disappointments of life. After graduation, he worked in the United States Congress and trained to be a stockbroker for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS).
One day at UBS, he was introduced to methamphetamines; he became instantly hooked—and the lives of many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit.
After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man.
On parole in Texas until 2073, his story is one of hope, redemption, grit, and the resilience of the human spirit.
Dr. Kevin McCauley
Senior Fellow at Meadows Behavioral Healthcare
Dr. Kevin McCauley graduated in 1992 from Drexel University School of Medicine and first became interested in the treatment of substance use disorders while serving as a Naval Flight Surgeon.
He wrote and directed two films: Memo to Self, about the concepts of recovery management, and Pleasure Unwoven, about the neuroscience of addiction, which won the 2010 Michael Q. Ford Award for Journalism from the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers.
Kevin lives with his wife, Kristine, in Sedona, Arizona, and recently completed a Master’s Degree in Public Health at the University of Arizona.
Schedule
Wednesday, September 17
Wheeler Concert Hall, Music Building, Casper College Campus
- 8:55 a.m. – Welcome
- 9:00 a.m. – Keynote: The Dopamine Hypothesis – Kevin McCauley
- 10:00 a.m. – Calling Out the Biggest Liar You Know: Realize. Reframe. Rewrite. Rise. – Terry Rogers
- 10:30 a.m. – From Wounds to Wisdom: Reprogramming Trauma for a Life Reimagined – Kristi Hann & John Ordiway
- 11:00 a.m. – Keynote: Be a Coffee Bean – Damon West
- Noon – Invited Lunch with Q&A from Damon West (GW 322)
- 1:30 p.m. – Living Room Conversations (A Constitution Day Event)
Location: T-Birds Nest, Third Floor, Union/University Building, Casper College CampusLiving Room Conversations are guided discussions on specific topics that facilitate connection between people despite their differences in age, politics, gender, and/or nationality. By listening to one another, people can identify areas of common ground and shared understanding no matter the subject. The end result is revitalized civil discourse across America.
