Annelise Russell

Annelise Russell is an Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Martin School for Public Policy at the University of Kentucky. Her research examines how policymakers communicate agendas through traditional and digital media, with a focus on congressional decision-making and social media's role in political processes.

Research interests span political communication, agenda-setting, social media analysis, and gendered aspects of political representation. Her publications analyze how senators use digital platforms like Twitter to shape policy reputations and engage constituents.

Her book Tweeting is Leading explores how senators strategically build reputations through social media. Recent articles investigate emotional appeals in political communication, pandemic rhetoric polarization, and gender differences in agenda-building.

Scientific Awards:

• Dirksen Center Congressional Research Grant (2025)
• APSA Emerging Scholar Award (2023)
• UK Research Award (2022)
• Center for Effective Lawmaking Grant (2020)
• APSA Best Paper Award (2020)

She advises PhD students in public policy and political science, and has supervised numerous graduate capstone projects on policy analysis and legislative studies.