In the wake of all that is happening in society today, the goal of Academy of Art Athletics remains the same: to help shine a light on our amazing student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. With that in mind, ART U brings to you the latest installment of the Knights Roundtable!

Joining the roundtable today is faculty athletics representative Darrell Hayden! Joining Academy of Art as a full-time instructor in 2009 after working in various roles within broad-based branding for 25 years, Darrell's role as the department's FAR has him serve as the liaison between the school and the NCAA while also helping ensure a balance of life for student-athletes on campus. Without further delay, let's meet Darrell!

Sports Information: Can you talk a little bit about your hometown and where you grew up? What did you like to do when you were young?
 
Darrell: I grew up on Mandeville Canyon in West Los Angeles, where I spent time hiking in the hills and fire roads above our house, observing wildlife. I was particularly enamored with reptiles, and collected gopher and king snakes and alligator lizards to observe, take care of, and learn about before releasing them back into the wild.
 
Sports Info: What did you study in school, and why? Did you have a favorite class or professor, and why were they your favorite?
 
Darrell: I liked to write, and to read. So as an undergrad at Brandeis University (Waltham, Mass.), I studied and received a degree in English and American Literature in 1976. One of my favorite professors was the writer, Alan Lelchuk. He let me crash his already-full freshman creative writing class because I was from California, had a ponytail, and he thought I'd add something to the mix. He was demanding, and got us to work to our potential.
 
I then went on to study graphic design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. which put me in good stead for my design career. I was lucky enough to then go on to work with Saul Bass and later Walter Landor - two titans in the field of branding and design.
 
Sports Info: What is your favorite thing to do in San Francisco?
 
Darrell: Trekking through Golden Gate Park. I live in the Richmond; it's a 10-minute walk to get there.
 
Sports Info: Who is one person you look up and why?
 
Darrell: These days it's my five-year-old daughter, Stella, who's incredibly creative, articulate, and empathic. I learn things from her every day. I also admire my successful grown and married kids. My son, Tyler, is a senior newspaper editor in Santa Barbara, and my daughter, Molly, is the vet tech at the California Academy of Sciences here in San Francisco. You can see I'm a proud dad.
 
Sports Info: What is one perhaps unique thing that you have been doing to pass the time during the shelter in place?
 
Darrell: Committing to my shakuhachi (ancient Japanese bamboo flute) practice. It's very difficult, requires great discipline, and is incredibly rewarding. I often practice early mornings at the Stow Lake pagoda in Golden Gate Park. I'm in an ensemble, and we're looking forward to being able to perform again.
 
Sports Info: What are your favorite sports teams and why?
 
Darrell: Growing up in Los Angeles, I went to Dodger games as a kid with my dad. We knew Sandy Koufax and his wife, Annie. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Dodgers.
 
Sports Info: Readers may not know that you worked on one of the previous PacWest logo designs with Academy of Art students. Can you talk briefly about that experience and what appreciated about that process?
 
Darrell: Art directing an advanced Identity Design class in creating that early PacWest logo was certainly gratifying; they did a great job. We had three "clients" - Mary Scott, then Chair of the Graphic Design Department; Jamie Williams, our AD at the time; and Commissioner Bob Hogue. That was unusual, and ultimately very gratifying when the final design was chosen.
 
Sports Info: What is your favorite type of music and why?
 
Darrell: My taste is varied and eclectic. These days, I'm listening to film scores, and focusing on the Italian composer Ennio Morricone, who recently passed away at 91.
 
Sports Info: If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
 
Darrell: Maybe a California condor. Can you imagine the views from up there?
 
Sports Info: What is your favorite thing about working in collegiate athletics?
 
Darrell: I enjoy working with Brad [Jones], Dan [Emerson], and Marquis [Aaron], and helping student-athletes who might be struggling academically. I also look forward to seeing student-athletes in my LA 306 "Creatively Speaking" presentation skills course. They more often than not set the bar in my sections with their rigor and discipline.