Ben Ross doesn’t need to use the word “passion” to describe his commitment to independent community pharmacy – it’s evident in his voice.

“I believe that independent pharmacists take care of their patients, their customers, and their communities better than anyone else can,” Ross said while driving across South Georgia to speak to a civic club. “It is an honor and a blessing to live and work and serve my community in this way.”

Ross, who received his PharmD degree from the University of Georgia in 2008, comes to his passion honestly. His father, Sonny, also a UGA graduate in 1974, opened Ross Drug in Sylvania in 1975. (Ben would later purchase it when his father retired.) From a young age, Ben spent a lot of time there, watching his father and learning how independent pharmacists served their communities. He helped around the store, rode with delivery drivers, and began making deliveries himself once he got his driver’s license. 

During the 2025 Bulldog 100 ceremony honoring the fastest-growing businesses owned by UGA alumni, Ross received the Michael J. Bryan Award, which recognizes a returning Bulldog 100 honoree who exemplifies entrepreneurial spirit and sustained business growth. The event was hosted by the UGA Alumni  Association February 21 in Athens.

“I was incredibly honored and truly blown away to receive the Bryan Award at the Bulldog 100 Gala,” Ross said. “However, this recognition is a testament to the dedication and hard work of my entire team. Our success is built on our commitment to serving our patients and making an impact in the communities we serve. I’m deeply humbled by this award and truly grateful to be selected.”

As a gesture of appreciation to the College of Pharmacy and the University of Georgia and to ensure that pharmacy students will always have access to the same education he enjoyed, Ross has endowed two scholarships. Several years ago, he honored the legacy of his father with the Sonny Ross and Ben Ross Scholarship. This year, he has provided funding for the Ross Family Scholarship. Both scholarships are intended to provide opportunities for current students to follow in Ross’s footsteps, ideally to serve smaller communities as he does.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the foundation and opportunities that the College of Pharmacy has provided to me and my family,” Ross said. “These scholarships are my way of giving back and supporting future pharmacists, ensuring that students have the opportunity to carry the torch for our profession for generations to come.”

The Ross Family Scholarship is supported by matching funds from the UGA Foundation made available for UGA’s top academic priorities, including scholarships at the professional schools and colleges.

Ross owns eight pharmacies in communities around Southeast Georgia, each modeled on the way his father operated Ross Drug. Independent pharmacy management is challenging, but Ross is committed to keeping this option alive in the communities he serves.

His father and a partner bought Forest Heights Pharmacy in Statesboro in 2006; the partner was diagnosed with cancer shortly after the purchase. In 2008, Ross purchased Forest Heights.

“It was tough at first,” he recalled. “I didn’t know anybody in Statesboro, but I got immersed in the community and worked really hard.” The advice he now gives students in the College of Pharmacy worked for him: Be passionate about your profession. Be the expert in your community. Let people know you’re there to help them and that you care about them. If you love and care about your patients you will be successful.

In addition to Sylvania and Statesboro, Ross now owns pharmacies in Midway, Georgetown, Waynesboro, Guyton, Lincolnton, and Thomson. His model is to find “…a young, hungry pharmacist with good values who is willing to work hard.” He trains that person in one of his existing pharmacies while they search for a community pharmacy to purchase, where he installs his colleague as pharmacist and manager.

Ross credits an entrepreneurship class he took while a UGA pharmacy student with setting him up for success. Student teams were paired with an independent pharmacist and saw first-hand what successful management required. He also names Dana Strickland, BS Pharm ‘81, former director of the College’s Development and Alumni Relations Office; and faculty members Drs. Cham Dallas, Matthew Perri, Henry Cobb, William Spruill, and former Associate Dean George Francisco as mentors. 

Born into independent pharmacy in South Georgia and educated at the University of Georgia, Ben Ross is committed to ensuring that the communities he loves will always have a local pharmacist.