David Russell
@russelldavid.bsky.social
Associate Professor of Sociology at Appalachian State University. Research and teaching interests include aging, medical sociology, and mental health.
Pinned
David Russell
@russelldavid.bsky.social
· Jul 15
The New Social Roots of School Shootings: A Refined Constellation Theory of Rampage Attacks - David Russell, Jon Gordon, Kelly M. Thames, 2025
School shooting scholars call for a comprehensive approach that can integrate idiosyncratic studies, solve definition dilemmas, and foster programmatic clarity....
journals.sagepub.com
Since the attack on Columbine High School 25 years ago, rampage shootings have occurred with some regularity. In this article, we refine a constellation theory that identifies factors and indicators, and interactions among them, that help account for these events journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by David Russell
Excited to see that the article "State Power and COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts" I wrote with my friends @russelldavid.bsky.social and Naomi Spence has been published online by the @bjsociology.bsky.social. There are a couple takeaways about state power and theories of the state I'm excited about.🧵1/5
State Power and COVID‐19 Vaccination Efforts
The COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique opportunity to assess how different forms of state power shape public health outcomes during a global crisis. Drawing on Michael Mann's distinction between inf...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 24, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Excited to see that the article "State Power and COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts" I wrote with my friends @russelldavid.bsky.social and Naomi Spence has been published online by the @bjsociology.bsky.social. There are a couple takeaways about state power and theories of the state I'm excited about.🧵1/5
State power, including infrastructural and despotic power, was influential in the COVID-19 vaccination efforts of countries around the world across periods of the pandemic onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
State Power and COVID‐19 Vaccination Efforts
The COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique opportunity to assess how different forms of state power shape public health outcomes during a global crisis. Drawing on Michael Mann's distinction between inf....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 24, 2025 at 10:35 AM
State power, including infrastructural and despotic power, was influential in the COVID-19 vaccination efforts of countries around the world across periods of the pandemic onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by David Russell
Free-to-read research & podcast! ASA members David Russell @russelldavid.bsky.social & Jon Gordon w/ Kelly M. Thames @appstate provide insight into what drives rampage shootings @sociusjournal.bsky.social: https://bit.ly/4q3Z1PM. Listen to the authors discuss their findings:
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
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bit.ly
October 7, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Free-to-read research & podcast! ASA members David Russell @russelldavid.bsky.social & Jon Gordon w/ Kelly M. Thames @appstate provide insight into what drives rampage shootings @sociusjournal.bsky.social: https://bit.ly/4q3Z1PM. Listen to the authors discuss their findings:
I enjoyed talking with Madison Austin from @asanews.bsky.social and my colleague Jon Gordon about our study recently published in @sociusjournal.bsky.social about the social roots of rampage school shootings sagesociology.libsyn.com/webpage/soci...
Sage Sociology: Socius - The New Social Roots of School Shootings: A Refined Constellation Theory of Rampage Attacks
Authors David Russell and Jon Gordon discuss the article, "" published in Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World.
sagesociology.libsyn.com
September 16, 2025 at 2:31 PM
I enjoyed talking with Madison Austin from @asanews.bsky.social and my colleague Jon Gordon about our study recently published in @sociusjournal.bsky.social about the social roots of rampage school shootings sagesociology.libsyn.com/webpage/soci...
Reposted by David Russell
Researchers: Are you interested in using the new NDWS data resource (surveys and linked data sources)? Join us for a webinar with our PIs at 1 p.m. EST (10 a.m. PST) on Monday, Sept. 29 to learn more. Register now at www.ndws.org.
September 4, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Researchers: Are you interested in using the new NDWS data resource (surveys and linked data sources)? Join us for a webinar with our PIs at 1 p.m. EST (10 a.m. PST) on Monday, Sept. 29 to learn more. Register now at www.ndws.org.
Reposted by David Russell
We have a great set of @asadisability.bsky.social sessions this morning including this one! Make sure to stop by before you say goodbye to the Windy City #ASA2025
Catch our final joint session co-sponsored with the Section on Disability in Society #MedSoc #ASAChicago #ReimaginingHealth
August 12, 2025 at 12:05 PM
We have a great set of @asadisability.bsky.social sessions this morning including this one! Make sure to stop by before you say goodbye to the Windy City #ASA2025
Reposted by David Russell
Sociology friends, FSU is hiring in our Demography area! I'm not on the committee, of course, but if you see me at ASA or want to discuss the job, our department, or higher ed in Florida, I'm happy to chat.
t.co/midMVA8fCv
t.co/midMVA8fCv
https://jobs.omni.fsu.edu/psc/sprdhr_er/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=60875&PostingSeq=1
t.co
August 7, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Sociology friends, FSU is hiring in our Demography area! I'm not on the committee, of course, but if you see me at ASA or want to discuss the job, our department, or higher ed in Florida, I'm happy to chat.
t.co/midMVA8fCv
t.co/midMVA8fCv
Reposted by David Russell
As the Chair of the Medical Sociology section of ASA, I’m excited for next week’s meeting in Chicago —follow our new account for live coverage! @asamedsoc.bsky.social
July 31, 2025 at 8:33 PM
As the Chair of the Medical Sociology section of ASA, I’m excited for next week’s meeting in Chicago —follow our new account for live coverage! @asamedsoc.bsky.social
Reposted by David Russell
I’m delighted to share that the August 2025 special issue of Sociological Methods & Research on Generative AI is out now. Along with my co-editor, Daniel Karell, we put together this issue to build on the conference we organized last year.
Here's a thread on each of the ten papers:
Here's a thread on each of the ten papers:
August 1, 2025 at 2:54 PM
I’m delighted to share that the August 2025 special issue of Sociological Methods & Research on Generative AI is out now. Along with my co-editor, Daniel Karell, we put together this issue to build on the conference we organized last year.
Here's a thread on each of the ten papers:
Here's a thread on each of the ten papers:
Reposted by David Russell
🚨 Why do rampage #SchoolShootings persist?
New #Socius study by Drs. @russelldavid.bsky.social, Jon Gordon & Kelly M. Thames refines #ConstellationTheory—revealing how #SocialMarginalization, #MasculinityThreat & #GunCulture collide to drive deadly #GunViolence.
Read: doi.org/10.1177/2378...
New #Socius study by Drs. @russelldavid.bsky.social, Jon Gordon & Kelly M. Thames refines #ConstellationTheory—revealing how #SocialMarginalization, #MasculinityThreat & #GunCulture collide to drive deadly #GunViolence.
Read: doi.org/10.1177/2378...
July 23, 2025 at 2:17 PM
🚨 Why do rampage #SchoolShootings persist?
New #Socius study by Drs. @russelldavid.bsky.social, Jon Gordon & Kelly M. Thames refines #ConstellationTheory—revealing how #SocialMarginalization, #MasculinityThreat & #GunCulture collide to drive deadly #GunViolence.
Read: doi.org/10.1177/2378...
New #Socius study by Drs. @russelldavid.bsky.social, Jon Gordon & Kelly M. Thames refines #ConstellationTheory—revealing how #SocialMarginalization, #MasculinityThreat & #GunCulture collide to drive deadly #GunViolence.
Read: doi.org/10.1177/2378...
Reposted by David Russell
NEW study in @SociusJournal presents refined Constellation Theory factors for rampage school shootings & shows that psychosocial support infrastructures are inflection points for surveillance system failures that create time for shooters to realize their attacks.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
The New Social Roots of School Shootings: A Refined Constellation Theory of Rampage Attacks - David Russell, Jon Gordon, Kelly M. Thames, 2025
School shooting scholars call for a comprehensive approach that can integrate idiosyncratic studies, solve definition dilemmas, and foster programmatic clarity....
journals.sagepub.com
July 21, 2025 at 3:28 PM
NEW study in @SociusJournal presents refined Constellation Theory factors for rampage school shootings & shows that psychosocial support infrastructures are inflection points for surveillance system failures that create time for shooters to realize their attacks.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Since the attack on Columbine High School 25 years ago, rampage shootings have occurred with some regularity. In this article, we refine a constellation theory that identifies factors and indicators, and interactions among them, that help account for these events journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
The New Social Roots of School Shootings: A Refined Constellation Theory of Rampage Attacks - David Russell, Jon Gordon, Kelly M. Thames, 2025
School shooting scholars call for a comprehensive approach that can integrate idiosyncratic studies, solve definition dilemmas, and foster programmatic clarity....
journals.sagepub.com
July 15, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Since the attack on Columbine High School 25 years ago, rampage shootings have occurred with some regularity. In this article, we refine a constellation theory that identifies factors and indicators, and interactions among them, that help account for these events journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by David Russell
Disabled people are 11 times more likely to die during labor/in the postpartum period than non-disabled people. Better education and smashing ableism is how we get out of this horrible stat.
For the past year, I’ve been looking into the topic of disability and pregnancy for @motherjones.com 🧵
For the past year, I’ve been looking into the topic of disability and pregnancy for @motherjones.com 🧵
Pregnancy is a minefield when you're disabled
Few OB-GYNs get disability training—and their disabled patients are far likelier to die.
www.motherjones.com
July 10, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Disabled people are 11 times more likely to die during labor/in the postpartum period than non-disabled people. Better education and smashing ableism is how we get out of this horrible stat.
For the past year, I’ve been looking into the topic of disability and pregnancy for @motherjones.com 🧵
For the past year, I’ve been looking into the topic of disability and pregnancy for @motherjones.com 🧵
Building on previous work showing that negative social experiences accelerate biological aging, we find from MIDUS that positive social experiences such as providing assistance to others and attending social meetings, have the potential to decelerate biological aging www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Associations between positive and negative social experiences and epigenetic aging - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Associations between positive and negative social experiences and epigenetic aging
www.nature.com
July 9, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Building on previous work showing that negative social experiences accelerate biological aging, we find from MIDUS that positive social experiences such as providing assistance to others and attending social meetings, have the potential to decelerate biological aging www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by David Russell
How will the proposed 43% cut to NIH impact the US?
This piece nicely counts the ways with dollar figures--and there's a lot of them packed into this short read. Another example of FAFO policymaking.
🛟medsky health policy science communication policysky sociology
This piece nicely counts the ways with dollar figures--and there's a lot of them packed into this short read. Another example of FAFO policymaking.
🛟medsky health policy science communication policysky sociology
Cutting the NIH—The $8 Trillion Health Care Catastrophe
This JAMA Forum discusses the recent budget cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH), the effects of these cuts on scientific research and health of individuals in the US, and the prospects for cha...
jamanetwork.com
June 15, 2025 at 4:48 PM
How will the proposed 43% cut to NIH impact the US?
This piece nicely counts the ways with dollar figures--and there's a lot of them packed into this short read. Another example of FAFO policymaking.
🛟medsky health policy science communication policysky sociology
This piece nicely counts the ways with dollar figures--and there's a lot of them packed into this short read. Another example of FAFO policymaking.
🛟medsky health policy science communication policysky sociology
Reposted by David Russell
We heard directly from more than 150 researchers, scientists and investigators about their terminated NIH grants and the science that’s being lost. Full story ⤵️
June 14, 2025 at 1:46 AM
We heard directly from more than 150 researchers, scientists and investigators about their terminated NIH grants and the science that’s being lost. Full story ⤵️
Reposted by David Russell
For 40 years, Americans have lived shorter lives than people in other rich countries.
For 10 years, that's been rapidly getting worse.
New research: in 2022-2023, there were 1.5 million "missing Americans," who died--but wouldn't have, if America didn't have such uniquely high death rates.
For 10 years, that's been rapidly getting worse.
New research: in 2022-2023, there were 1.5 million "missing Americans," who died--but wouldn't have, if America didn't have such uniquely high death rates.
Excess US Deaths Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
This cohort study examines trends in excess deaths in the US before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
jamanetwork.com
May 29, 2025 at 7:58 PM
For 40 years, Americans have lived shorter lives than people in other rich countries.
For 10 years, that's been rapidly getting worse.
New research: in 2022-2023, there were 1.5 million "missing Americans," who died--but wouldn't have, if America didn't have such uniquely high death rates.
For 10 years, that's been rapidly getting worse.
New research: in 2022-2023, there were 1.5 million "missing Americans," who died--but wouldn't have, if America didn't have such uniquely high death rates.
Reposted by David Russell
Looking for a PhD fellowship in family demography? We are looking for candidates with a strong quantitative background and interest in men’s fertility and family participation. Reach out to Vegard or me if you have questions.
Open PhD position in Oslo, Norway!
3 or 4 year PhD-fellowship in Quantitative Social Science on Family Participation and Fertility among Men
www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...
About the HOMME project www.sv.uio.no/psi/english/...
3 or 4 year PhD-fellowship in Quantitative Social Science on Family Participation and Fertility among Men
www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...
About the HOMME project www.sv.uio.no/psi/english/...
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in
April 3, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Looking for a PhD fellowship in family demography? We are looking for candidates with a strong quantitative background and interest in men’s fertility and family participation. Reach out to Vegard or me if you have questions.
Reposted by David Russell
Trump has cut the NIH budget by more than half in defiance of Congressionally mandated appropriations for the agency. No comparison historically, not even the Great Recession. This is clearly not legal and Congress needs to address it.
March 30, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Trump has cut the NIH budget by more than half in defiance of Congressionally mandated appropriations for the agency. No comparison historically, not even the Great Recession. This is clearly not legal and Congress needs to address it.
In this article, we found that use of consumer-directed personal care, where Medicaid home-based long-term care enrollees can select and hire their own paid caregivers (including family members), increased substantially in the greater NYC area between 2017 and 2022. www.jamda.com/article/S152...
Consumer-Directed Personal Care in the New York Metropolitan Area: Trends in Use From 2017 to 2022
Despite growing interest in expansion of consumer- (or self-) directed models of Medicaid-funded
personal care, research characterizing program use is limited. We leverage health
plan and claims data ...
www.jamda.com
March 6, 2025 at 9:01 PM
In this article, we found that use of consumer-directed personal care, where Medicaid home-based long-term care enrollees can select and hire their own paid caregivers (including family members), increased substantially in the greater NYC area between 2017 and 2022. www.jamda.com/article/S152...
Reposted by David Russell
An LLM "creates textual claims, and then predicts the citations that might be associated with similar text. Obviously, this practice violates all norms of scholarly citation.
At best, LLMs gesticulate toward the shoulders of giants."
Bender, West, and I contributed to this pro/con piece in PNAS.
At best, LLMs gesticulate toward the shoulders of giants."
Bender, West, and I contributed to this pro/con piece in PNAS.
How should the advancement of large language models affect the practice of science? | PNAS
Large language models (LLMs) are being increasingly incorporated into scientific workflows.
However, we have yet to fully grasp the implications of...
www.pnas.org
January 28, 2025 at 1:13 AM
An LLM "creates textual claims, and then predicts the citations that might be associated with similar text. Obviously, this practice violates all norms of scholarly citation.
At best, LLMs gesticulate toward the shoulders of giants."
Bender, West, and I contributed to this pro/con piece in PNAS.
At best, LLMs gesticulate toward the shoulders of giants."
Bender, West, and I contributed to this pro/con piece in PNAS.
Reposted by David Russell
This is such an absolutely trivial thing compared w the scale of this catastrophe, but it’s the scale I can comprehend:
I promised a grad student last week I’d send a data-related question to NCHS & I haven’t gotten to it yet, & now who knows when they’ll be able to even respond to public queries
I promised a grad student last week I’d send a data-related question to NCHS & I haven’t gotten to it yet, & now who knows when they’ll be able to even respond to public queries
New: Trump officials have paused all external communications at health agencies like CDC, FDA, NIH.
No health alerts and the famed MMWRs; no updates to key websites or social media posts.
And no indication how long the pause will last.
With @rachelroubein.bsky.social + Lena Sun.
No health alerts and the famed MMWRs; no updates to key websites or social media posts.
And no indication how long the pause will last.
With @rachelroubein.bsky.social + Lena Sun.
Trump officials pause health agencies’ communications, citing review
The agencies are charged with making decisions that touch the lives of every American and are the source of crucial information to health-care providers.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 22, 2025 at 3:13 AM
This is such an absolutely trivial thing compared w the scale of this catastrophe, but it’s the scale I can comprehend:
I promised a grad student last week I’d send a data-related question to NCHS & I haven’t gotten to it yet, & now who knows when they’ll be able to even respond to public queries
I promised a grad student last week I’d send a data-related question to NCHS & I haven’t gotten to it yet, & now who knows when they’ll be able to even respond to public queries