Professor Anderson conducts research and teaches in the areas of computer-aided design, computer graphics and mechanical engineering design. His research focuses on problems in intelligent manufacturing systems, computer-aided engineering, design environments, high level shape representation, geometric modeling, and geometric reasoning.

He is currently deputy director and co-principal investigator of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Collaborative Manufacturing, and chairman of the Mechanical Engineering Design Area. He is a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Research in Engineering Design and the Journal of Design and Manufacturing.

Dr. Anderson is a Fellow of the ASME.