Conversations with David Hayes

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Hayes

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
After graduating from Michigan State University in the late 1900s, I moved to Chicago and worked in the educational publishing industry as an editor. That proved to be unsatsifying, so began the process of working in feature films and on stage, which took me to the west coast. After hundreds of productions, I was asked to co-create the digital film program at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, which really started my career in higher education. At that point, I began my deep dive into psychology which turned into the primary focus of my career. Currently, I am a professor of communications at Western Governers University, advocate and teach within Michigan’s prison system, consult on cold cases for various entities, and still keep a toe in the entertainment world as an author and screenwriter. I am very fortunate to be able to have forged a career by synthesizing all these various pursuits.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t believe any roads are smooth! I do think that the ‘rejection-based’ entertainment industry did uniquely prepare me for obstacles in higher education and the social sciences. In entertainment, the bottom of a project you put years of your life into can drop out at any moment. That constant threat of failure has allowed me to put education and advocacy work in a perspective that helps to overcome setbacks. This is no more prescient than cold case work, which is nothing more than a series of setbacks that requires a relentless pursuit. The outcomes and stakes are far greater than a book or movie, of course, but approach is the same.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In this phase of my career, I work as a forensic psychologist or criminologist, looking at criminal behavior in terms of cold cases. In addition, I advocate for and teach within the prison system. These may seem like disparate items, but they are closely tied together in terms of justice and recidivism. This is process of making our communities safer from two different avenues.

In addition, my past creative life has allowed me to have a perspective on crime media, like true crime, and the criminal humanities that other practitioners don’t really have a handle on. Recently, I completed a study on the effect true crime media has on the opinions of homicide investigators in terms of serial murder. The results were very interesting and there really isn’t anyone else looking at these topics comprehensively.

Frankly, like I indicated earlier, it all coalesces into making our communities safer. Finding a resolution to a cold case, or helping law enforcement to adjust their thinking in terms of criminal myths, or even personally helping an incarcerated individual change their approach to the world… all of these have the same overall effect and outcome.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I am a member of many different organizations and thier publications are great. For example, the American Psychological Association’s “Monitor on Psychology” and the Society for Police and Criminal Psychologists’s journal is wonderful. I also use resources from the American Corrections Association. I also stay abreast of current popular trends in true crime through a few, select podcasts.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hayescriminology.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-hayes-phd-mfa-a7b33b5/
• Other: https://www.davidchayes.com