Russell earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Minnesota and master’s and doctorate degrees in Economics from Indiana University. He has been employed as a research economist at the U.S. International Trade Commission, as a faculty member at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and most recently as a member of the research department of the World Bank. From 2001-2002, Russell was a visiting professor in the Economics department at Purdue. His research focuses on the geography of trade flows, the welfare consequences of trade costs, the efficacy of trade facilitation measures, and the organization of multi-stage production processes.