V.P. for Student Affairs, Butler University
Dr. Ross is a seasoned higher education leader with nearly three decades of experience dedicated to enhancing the student experience through a focus on belonging, well-being, and success. Prior to Butler University, he held senior roles including Vice President for Student Life at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York and Vice President for Student Affairs at Northeastern Illinois University, a Hispanic-Serving Institution in Chicago.
A recognized national leader in student affairs, Dr. Ross has been actively involved in NASPA, the foremost international association for the student affairs profession. His leadership roles include serving on the NASPA Board of Directors, directing Knowledge Communities, and chairing the 2016 NASPA Annual Conference. He has also contributed as a member of the James E. Scott Academy Board for senior student affairs officers and as a faculty member for the NASPA Institute for New VPSAs.
Dr. Ross’s career is marked by a deep commitment to civic engagement, with significant involvement in the AASCU American Democracy Project, NASPA’s Civic Learning & Democratic Engagement initiative, and the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities. He was named a Strategic Civic Leader Fellow by Campus Compact and the McCormick Foundation.
An accomplished scholar, Dr. Ross has served as Editor of the Journal of Learning Communities Research and guest Editor for the Metropolitan Universities Journal. His latest work is a co-edited book on professional competencies in student affairs, and he has contributed a chapter to the forthcoming Handbook of Well-being in Higher Education from Oxford Press.
Dr. Ross has received numerous awards and recognitions from NASPA, the National Resource Center on the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, the National Academic Advising Association, the American Association of Colleges and Universities, and the American College Personnel Association. In 2016, he was honored with the Robert H. Shaffer Distinguished Alumni Award from Indiana University.
Dr. Ross holds a PhD in higher education from Indiana University and completed the Higher Education Management Development Program at Harvard University. He recently earned a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University.