By Joe Kleinsasser

Bruce Erickson is the new executive director for marketing and communications at Wichita State.

Although new to the position, Erickson isn't really new to Wichita State or to Kansas. In fact, he is coming home. A Lindsborg native, Erickson attended WSU in the late 1960s before being called to active military service in the middle of his senior year. He completed his bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at the University of Kansas.

Erickson will head the Office of University Communications, which includes the areas of community relations and special events, cyberspace marketing, news and media relations, and publications.

He also is responsible for coordinating the university's marketing and advertising efforts.

Most recently, Erickson was with the public relations firm Erickson Alderman & Associates.

Prior to that, Erickson was director of public relations at California State University at Northridge, a large, urban, public comprehensive university of 27,500 students serving northern Los Angeles and southern Ventura counties from October 1993 to March 1998.

He had the unique experience of serving as the primary spokesperson at Cal State Northridge in the aftermath of the Northridge earthquake which killed 60 people in Los Angeles and caused $350 million of damage to the campus. He also was the university's liaison with the White House and Secret Service to prepare for campus visits by the president and vice president of the United States.

Erickson also was director of university relations at the University of Texas-Pan American from February 1982 to October 1993.