Les Anderson
Associate Director
Elliott School of Communication
1845 N. Fairmount, Box 31
Wichita, Kansas
Phone: (316) 978-3185
Fax: (316) 978-3006
Email: les.anderson@wichita.edu
Les Anderson is an associate professor and associate director of the Elliott School of Communication at Wichita State University. He has taught writing, editing and community journalism courses there for 30 years. Anderson also is former owner and publisher of The Ark Valley News, an award-winning weekly newspaper he and his wife Nancy started in 1975.
The Andersons sold their newspaper to a former student and his wife in 2005. He continues to write a weekly column for his hometown newspaper, in addition to freelance stories for several publications in the Wichita area.
Anderson is a former president of the Kansas Press Association, and a member of the Leadership Committee for the Kansas Newspaper Foundation’s Cornerstone Campaign. This past spring, he received the press association’s Karl and Dorothy Gaston Outstanding Mentor Award in recognition of devotion and commitment to furthering and investing in the careers of young journalists. He also is a former recipient of KPA’s Huck and Mamie Boyd Award for outstanding service to his community.
Anderson has served on the journalism education and awards committees for the National Newspaper Association. He is a founding board member of the Kansas Sunshine Coalition and a board member of the Kansas chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists in Wichita. He also advises the student SPJ chapter at WSU.