David I. Anderson holds a Ph.D. in Kinesiology with a specialization in Motor Learning and Control from Louisiana State University. He is the Director of the Marian Wright Edelman Institute for the Study of Children, Youth, and Families at San Francisco State University and the former Chair of the Department of Kinesiology at San Francisco State University.

His research centers on understanding how motor skills are acquired, how to promote the development of motor skills, and how motor activity influences psychological functioning and academic performance. He has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and presentations, and has received significant funding for his research from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education, and private foundations.

Dr. Anderson received the Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Professional Achievement and Growth from San Francisco State University. He is an Active Fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology and the former President of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity. Among his other professional service activities he is an Associate Editor for Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport and he serves on the editorial boards of several journals focused on motor learning, control, and development.