Russell was appointed Chair (later Director)[2] of Monash University's Australian Indigenous Studies program in 2001, and also Deputy Dean of Arts from 2007 to 2010.
[1] Russell has collaborated with scholars in archaeology, anthropology and environmental studies, and worked in various Aboriginal organisations.
She holds or has held positions on committees and reference groups pertaining to Melbourne Museum, the State Library of Victoria and the Collections Council of Australia.
[2][4] Russell is also a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia,[5] a member of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in London and a Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University.
She was also awarded the 2019 Kathleen Fitzpatrick fellowship, which "recognises one outstanding female Laureate Fellow in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences".