David S. Anderson

PhD, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Professor
Director, Center for the Advancement of Public Health

Contact Information

Send email to danderso@gmu.edu

Phone: (703) 993-3698
Fax: (703) 993-3763

George Mason University, Fairfax Campus
Univ. Townhouse Complex A605
4400 University Dr.
MS 1F5
Fairfax, VA 22030

Profile

Dr. Anderson combines scholarly research with applications at the local, state and national level. As Director of the Center for the Advancement of Public Health, he directs numerous research and community service projects. His research emphasizes college students, school and community leaders, youth, program planners, and policy makers.

Dr. Anderson co-authors national surveys on drug/alcohol prevention efforts, at the college, community college and secondary school level.   He is co-director of the Understanding Teen Drinking Cultures in America project, a research initiative involving quantitative and qualitative strategies.  He co-authors the College Alcohol Survey, the nation's longitudinal survey of four-year college efforts addressing alcohol, drug, tobacco and violence (1979 - 2009).   He co-directed the Promising Practices: Campus Alcohol Strategies project which includes a family of resources (Sourcebook, Task Force Planner, and Action Planner). His award-winning project Healthy Expectations, with COMPASS: A Roadmap to Healthy Living, emphasizes life health planning and healthy transitions to college; this has resulted in a resource  guide [COMPASS Roadmap: Destination Health] helpful for organizations seeking to replicate the initiative.    He recently publlished Best of CHOICES: Alcohol Education 1998-2008 with the National Collegiate Athletic Association.   Prior to arriving at Mason in 1987, he served as a student affairs administrator at Ohio University, Radford University, and The Ohio State University.

Research Interests

  • College and youth substance abuse prevention strategies
  • Technology and health promotion
  • Health and safety communication
  • Holistic health
  • Strategic planning and organization change
  • Needs assessment
  • Program evaluation
  • Accountability

Recent Publications

  • COMPASS Roadmap: Destination Health (replication guide)
  • COMPASS: A Roadmap to Healthy Living (online and CD-Resource, 2008 and 2005)
  • Best of CHOICES: Print and DVD Resource
  • IMPACT Evaluation Resource
  • Loudoun Youth Study 2006: Report of Findings
  • 2009 College Alcohol Survey (1979 - 2009)
  • The Alcohol Summit: A Roadmap for Fraternities and Sororities
  • Best Practices: Strategies, Insights and Applications for Addressing Alcohol Issues with Fraternities and Sororities on America’s College and University Campuses
  • Sourcebook 2001, Promising Practices: Campus Alcohol Strategies
  • Distracted Driving: Review of Current Needs, Efforts and Recommended Strategies
  • “Drugs, Alcohol and Youth: Strategies to Make a Difference”
  • “Virginia’s College Students: Reversing Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Problems”
  • “Virginia College Alcohol Abuse Prevention Standards”
  • “Drugs, Alcohol and Youth: Strategies to Make a Difference”
  • Steps for Developing a Comprehensive Campus Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program: An Action Planner

Other Information

Websites: