Dr. Ross is from Blairsville, GA. He spent his undergraduate years at both Georgia College and State University and Piedmont University. He played basketball for both institutions. He then went on to earn his Masters in Sport Management at the University of Georgia. During his time at UGA, Dr. Ross volunteered for the NABC and worked as an intern for the NCAA D1 Men’s Basketball Final Four held in Dallas, Texas. He received his PhD in Sport Management from Troy University.
Dr. Ross served as a high school Assistant Athletic Director for three years. He started a youth training company in 2014, called Elite Level Training (ELT) which focuses on the fundamentals and functional movement of various sports. He describes this as a gigantic blessing and has been fortunate enough to run multiple camps and events while also training over 250 athletes in individual lessons ranging from recreation age to professional athletes. ELT primarily serves athletes and their families within the northeast Georgia, western North Carolina, and northwest Georgia areas. Many of these camps are in affiliation with high school programs and have helped to develop a greater sense of community engagement. During the summer, Dr. Ross also works part time with the Atlanta Hawks running youth camps and promotional events throughout the city of Atlanta and state of Georgia.
Dr. Ross has been named a Senior Writer for the Journal of NCAA Compliance (JONC) and continues to write for other platforms as well surrounding his research interests and areas of expertise. He has also been elected to on the Board of Commissioners for the Commission of Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA). COSMA is an international accrediting body that ensures the integrity and standard of sport management programs across the globe. Dr. Ross also serves as the faculty representative for the Hawks Sports Society (HSS) found on SU’s campus that has allowed students to attend and work the Superbowl, NCAA Men’s Final Four, ACC Tennis Championships, various golf tournaments, additional tennis specific events, and multiple other opportunities while focusing on student development and an insight to the industry specific realm that students are navigating. He is an active member within many sport management organizations and presents at their conferences multiple times a year. In 2022, Dr. Ross was awarded the Vulcan Excellence in Teaching Award which is given to the junior faculty member who has made a distinct difference within both the classroom and campus community.
Dr. Ross lists traveling, scuba diving, spending time with friends/family, church and the outdoors as other activities he enjoys and participates in regularly. His favorite bible verse is Proverbs 27v17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” He is extremely excited to be a part of the Shorter University family serving as Department Chair and as an Associate Professor within the Sport Management program. He looks forward to everything this calling has to offer!