[3] In 1979, Ross gained admittance to the pre-University program at the University of Toronto, graduating in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Psychology.

[5] In 1985, Ross began his master's of political science degree at the University of Colorado (Boulder) under the supervision of Ted Robert Gurr.

[6] From 1990 to 1991, while completing his doctorate, Ross worked as Research Associate at the International Center for Comparative Criminology at the University of Montreal.

Two years later, Ross worked as an Assistant Professor for the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences, Kent State University.

[12] This research led Ross to be an expert witness for the Canadian Senate's Special Committee on Terrorism and Public Safety (1986).

Making News of Police Violence earned Society for the Study of Social Problems, Crime and Juvenile Delinquency Division Outstanding Scholar Award, 2001/2002.

His Encyclopedia of Street Crime in America, earned the Booklist 2013 Editor's Choice Award and the Library Journal Best Reference 2013.

In 2017, Ross was awarded a Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst – (DAAD), German Academic Exchange Service Scholarship.