Jtm-dc-Ellen Scully-Russ

Ellen Scully-Russ is a doctoral candidate in the Teachers College of Columbia University. Her dissertation is a case study on the new media labor market in Washington, D.C. Her interest is in emerging occupations and how people learn, and how their learning gets distributed more broadly across labor markets. She is currently interviewing people who have had long-standing traditional media jobs and people doing new media. "There is a lot more continuity than one might expect," she says. "People who transition from old into new have a much broader set of skillsets and are being more successful in ventures than those who are just starting out."

Scully-Russ is an adult educator specializing in the development of coalitions, policies, and programs to support workplace learning and skills portability for American workers.
Out of great concern for the growing divide in the U.S. labor market between careers that offer stable employment and ongoing learning opportunities, and those that do not, Scully-Russ adopted a research agenda aimed at understanding the political, economic, social, and individual dynamics that give rise to sustainable careers in the emerging post-industrial economy.

Scully-Russ formerly worked with U.S. labor unions to negotiate, participate in, and in some cases, manage workforce and economic development programs. In her 20 years in this role, Ellen contributed to establishment of dozens of innovative partnerships that continue to provide community members access good jobs, help union members improve their job skills, as well as improve the performance of firms and regional economies. Ellen consults to unions, their partners, and others on benchmarking studies, as well as strategies to develop and improve workplace learning and economic development initiatives while she completes the requirements for her doctoral degree. She lives in Oakton, Va., with her husband Merle and their cat Ogden and can be reached via email: ems2104@columbia.edu”>