Roberta F. Colman
biochemist
- August 15, 2019
- 81 years
About Roberta F. Colman
Roberta F. Colman, 81, American biochemist.
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Full Biography
|Roberta F. Colman (1938 – August 15, 2019), born Roberta Fishman, was an American biochemist.
Early life
Roberta Fishman was from New York City, the daughter of William and Esther Fishman of Brooklyn. As a student at Forest Hills High School in 1955, she received a Westinghouse Science Talent Search Award, and met president Dwight D. Eisenhower. Colman earned her bachelor's degree at Radcliffe College in 1959, and completed doctoral studies at Harvard University in 1962, with Frank Westheimer as her advisor. She held post-doctoral fellowships at the National Institutes of Health and the Washington University School of Medicine.
Career
In 1966, she joined the faculty at the Washington University School of Medicine, where she had carried out postdoctoral research. From 1967 to 1973, Colman was a professor at Harvard Medical School, beginning as an assistant professor and later being promoted to associate professor. She joined the faculty at the University of Delaware in 1973, the first female biochemist to hold a faculty position there. She was the Willis F. Harrington Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and director of the Chemistry-Biology Interface Graduate Program. She was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 1988. In 1988, Colman represented the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), when testified at a Senate budget hearing in support of increased funding for the National Science Foundation.
Colman's research involved "the effects of chemical modifications on enzymes". She held research grants from the National Science Foundation, the American Cancer Society and the National Institutes of Health, and wrote or co-wrote over 260 published scholarly articles. She served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Protein Expression and Purification, and Protein Science, and was editor-in-chief of Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics from 1984 to 2001. She retired from the University of Delaware in 2009.
Among her biochemistry graduate students at Delaware was Siddhartha Roy.
Personal life
During college, Roberta Fishman married Robert W. Colman, a medical student, who had also won a Westinghouse Science Talent Search Award in the 1950s. They had two children. Robert Colman became a professor of medicine at Temple University. Roberta F. Colman died in 2019, in Media, Pennsylvania, aged 81 years.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberta_F._Colman
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
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- View record
- October 9, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Roberta F. Colman's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was the birth name of Roberta F. Colman?
- A.Roberta Harrington
- B.Roberta Westheimer
- C.Roberta Roy
- D.Roberta Fishmancorrect
The biography states that Roberta F. Colman was born Roberta Fishman.
Source: biography introduction
2.In what year did Roberta F. Colman earn her bachelor's degree from Radcliffe College?
- A.1955
- B.1966
- C.1959correct
- D.1962
Roberta F. Colman earned her bachelor's degree at Radcliffe College in 1959.
Source: early life section
3.Who served as the doctoral advisor for Roberta F. Colman at Harvard University?
- A.Willis F. Harrington
- B.Robert W. Colman
- C.Frank Westheimercorrect
- D.William Fishman
Roberta F. Colman completed her doctoral studies at Harvard University in 1962 with Frank Westheimer as her advisor.
Source: early life section
4.Which prestigious award did Roberta F. Colman receive as a student at Forest Hills High School in 1955?
- A.The American Chemical Society Merit Award
- B.The Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- C.The National Science Foundation Prize
- D.The Westinghouse Science Talent Search Awardcorrect
In 1955, as a student at Forest Hills High School, Roberta F. Colman received a Westinghouse Science Talent Search Award.
Source: early life section
5.In what year did Roberta F. Colman join the faculty at the University of Delaware?
- A.1984
- B.1967
- C.1966
- D.1973correct
Roberta F. Colman joined the faculty at the University of Delaware in 1973.
Source: career section
6.What was the name of the biochemistry graduate student Roberta F. Colman mentored at the University of Delaware?
- A.Robert W. Colman
- B.Frank Westheimer
- C.Siddhartha Roycorrect
- D.Willis F. Harrington
Siddhartha Roy is explicitly mentioned as one of the biochemistry graduate students of Roberta F. Colman at Delaware.
Source: career section
7.What specific role did Roberta F. Colman hold at the journal Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics?
- A.Associate Editor
- B.Contributing Author
- C.Editorial Board Member
- D.Editor-in-chiefcorrect
Roberta F. Colman served as editor-in-chief of Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics from 1984 to 2001.
Source: career section
8.Roberta F. Colman testified at a Senate budget hearing in 1988 representing which organization?
- A.National Science Foundation
- B.American Cancer Society
- C.American Association for the Advancement of Science
- D.Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biologycorrect
In 1988, Colman represented the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) at a Senate budget hearing.
Source: career section
9.What was the focus of the research conducted by Roberta F. Colman?
- A.The impact of funding on public universities
- B.The effects of chemical modifications on enzymescorrect
- C.The history of medical school curricula
- D.The synthesis of proteins in artificial environments
The text states that the research of Roberta F. Colman involved the effects of chemical modifications on enzymes.
Source: career section
10.What position did Robert W. Colman, the husband of Roberta F. Colman, hold during his career?
- A.Professor of medicine at Temple Universitycorrect
- B.Associate professor at Harvard Medical School
- C.Director of the Chemistry-Biology Interface program
- D.Editor-in-chief of a scientific journal
Robert W. Colman became a professor of medicine at Temple University.
Source: personal life section
11.Roberta F. Colman was elected a fellow of which organization in 1988?
- A.Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
- B.American Association for the Advancement of Sciencecorrect
- C.National Institutes of Health
- D.American Cancer Society
Roberta F. Colman was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 1988.
Source: career section
12.Where did Roberta F. Colman pass away in 2019?
- A.Newark, Delaware
- B.New York City, New York
- C.Cambridge, Massachusetts
- D.Media, Pennsylvaniacorrect
Roberta F. Colman died in 2019, in Media, Pennsylvania, aged 81 years.
Source: personal life section
13.What was a significant milestone for Roberta F. Colman at the University of Delaware in 1973?
- A.She secured the university's first NIH research grant
- B.She was the first female biochemist to hold a faculty position therecorrect
- C.She founded the Chemistry-Biology Interface Graduate Program
- D.She was appointed the university's first female dean
When joining the University of Delaware in 1973, Roberta F. Colman was the first female biochemist to hold a faculty position there.
Source: career section
14.Approximately how many scholarly articles did Roberta F. Colman write or co-write?
- A.Over 100
- B.Over 500
- C.Over 260correct
- D.Over 750
Roberta F. Colman wrote or co-wrote over 260 published scholarly articles.
Source: career section
15.In what year did Roberta F. Colman retire from the University of Delaware?
- A.2001
- B.2009correct
- C.2019
- D.1998
Roberta F. Colman retired from the University of Delaware in 2009.
Source: career section
16.Which of these organizations provided research grants to Roberta F. Colman?
- A.The Westinghouse Science Foundation
- B.The American Cancer Societycorrect
- C.The Forest Hills Science Committee
- D.The Temple University Medical Board
The biography notes that Roberta F. Colman held research grants from the National Science Foundation, the American Cancer Society, and the National Institutes of Health.
Source: career section
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