In 2003, he was awarded UB’s Distinguished Chair in Research Award. He received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Colorado. In 1986, Dr. Ross was the lead expert witness for the Canadian Senate's Special Committee on Terrorism and Public Safety. He created the first database on terrorism in Canada, which was later acquired by the Solicitor General of Canada. From 1995 to 1998, Ross was a social science analyst with the National Institute of Justice, a Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Some of his books include Making News of Police Violence: A Comparative Study of Toronto and New York City and The Dynamics of Political Crime. He is the coauthor (with Stephen C. Richards) of Behind Bars: Surviving Prison, and the editor or co-editor of many other books.