In this episode of “The Newman Bond,” host Laura Hartley sits down with Dakota Heard ’20 to discuss his journey from student archivist to master’s degree graduate from Emporia State University and his eventual appointment as the ASC’s first full-time lay director of archives.
When Heard arrived at Newman University, he planned to become a secondary history teacher. However, his undergraduate experiences singing in musicals, conducting research in the university archives, and building relationships with the Adorers of the Blood of Christ (ASC) set him on an unexpected career trajectory.
Today, he serves as the director of archives for the ASC United States Region, safeguarding the history of the religious order that founded Newman University.
Heard reflects on campus mentors, the deep historical ties between Newman and the ASC sisters, insights into the daily work of modern archives and advice for students entering college on “The Newman Bond” podcast.
Overview of conversation topics
Read on to skim or find timestamps of specific topics covered in this episode.
Finding a home at Newman University (0:00–3:45)
Heard shares how his connection to the ASC sisters began in kindergarten in Oklahoma, where his principal was an ASC sister. As a Cardinal Newman Scholar, Heard chose Newman for its close-knit community and small class sizes and lived in Carrocci, Beata and Fugate halls during his collegiate years.
Mentorship and discovering the archives (3:45–7:15)
While studying secondary education and history, Heard balanced vocal music and theater with work as a student assistant in the university archives. He credits mentors Deanne Zogleman, Kelly McFall and Cheryl Golden for guiding his academic growth and fostering a strong sense of community on campus.
Transitioning from education to library science (7:15–10:30)
After completing his student teaching amid the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, Heard realized his true passion lay in preserving history. He enrolled in Emporia State University’s Master of Library Science program, later gaining professional experience at the State Library of Kansas serving state government officials.
Rapid-fire questions: Vatican secrets, musicals and advice (10:30–13:00)
In a quick-response segment, Heard reflects on his favorite Newman musical production “Footloose,” chooses the Vatican archives as the one global collection he would love to explore and shares practical advice for incoming freshmen on building genuine relationships in college.
Establishing modern archival standards for the ASC (13:00–16:45)
Heard describes the day-to-day operations of managing the ASC Wichita archives alongside fellow Newman alumna Bree Southworth. From cataloging collections to meet national standards to assisting researchers and the sisters themselves, Heard highlights the expansive missionary and educational legacy of the Adorers across the United States and abroad.
Tips for aspiring archivists and researchers (16:45–19:30)
Reflecting on the lost art of in-depth reference research, Heard encourages interested students to seek out hands-on library or archival experience. He notes that while internet search engines and AI tools can be fallible, trained archivists and librarians remain essential guides for uncovering verified facts.
‘The Newman Bond’ podcast
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