IN MEMORIUM: James D. Russell

Dr. James D. (Jim) Russell, Professor Emeritus of Learning Design and Technology in the College of Education, passed away on December 14, 2022, following a period of declining health. A celebration of his life was held February 6, 2023.

Russell was on the faculty for 38 years and was instrumental in developing the Learning Design and Technology program at Purdue. In 1976, he helped to lead the effort to add a focus on instructional design to a program that at that time prepared school library and media sciences specialists. During his career, he taught courses including introduction to instructional design, instructional media, and adult education. He was well-known in the field for authoring Instructional Media and Technologies for Learning, along with colleagues Robert Heinich, Michael Molenda, and later Sharon Smaldino, which was the leading instructional media textbook in the field and introduced the ASSURE model for selecting and utilizing media.

While at Purdue, Russell also worked as a faculty instructional consultant for the Center for Instructional Services, the forerunner of what is now the Center for Instructional Excellence, where he helped faculty colleagues to improve their classes through use of effective course evaluations and systematic instructional design practices.

“I knew Jim as both a colleague when I was on staff at Purdue and as a faculty member when I entered the LDT doctoral program,” said Mary Bonhomme, professor emerita from the Florida Institute of Technology. “In both situations, Jim was most supportive, willing to listen to ideas, and consider everyone’s input. Through the years, we’ve kept in touch and even created the FEB groups (the Florida Easter Bunch), so we could gather in Florida at Easter time for sightseeing in Florida. I’ll miss spending time with him.”

A former high school mathematics and physics teacher, Russell taught for more than forty years. He  won numerous honors for his teaching at Purdue, including his department’s Outstanding Teacher Award and the College of Education’s Best Teacher Award. He was also selected as a member of Purdue’s Teaching Academy and inducted into Purdue’s Book of Great Teachers. His specialty areas, in which he achieved national prominence through his writings and presentations, were presentation skills and using media and technology in classrooms. Through his teaching, workshops, consulting, and textbook Instructional Media and Technologies for Learning, he made a significant impact on classroom teaching practice. 

Outside of academia, Russell had a passion for automobiles, working as a stunt driver in his younger years and later serving as an announcer for demolition derbies for more than 40 years. He was a respected and loved colleague and strong student advocate who mentored many students. He will be missed but his legacy lives on in the Learning Design and Technology program.