Keeping a Son’s Memory Alive
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Two new endowments in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics will honor the legacy of Colton William Roberts, a former student who was tragically killed by a driver under the influence days before the beginning of his junior year.
Established with gifts from Colton’s family — including a $1 million planned gift from Colton’s father, Bill Roberts — the Colton William Roberts Scholarship for Geosciences and the Colton William Roberts Distinguished Professorship in Natural Sciences and Mathematics will fund generations of students and faculty exploring a field that captured Colton’s passion during his lifetime.
Growing up in Austin, Texas, as the son of two hiking enthusiasts and with a father who had a biology background, Colton immersed himself in the lush trees and serene waters that define Central Texas and eventually declared a major in geosciences at UT Dallas.
“Every weekend we’d go somewhere and talk about the trees,” Bill said. “He loved parks and nature trails.” Bill, along with Colton’s mother, Tanya, knew they had to honor Colton in a way they thought he would want to be remembered.
“I couldn’t see Colton’s education dollars being spent on anything but education,” Tanya said. “It was very important to me to be able to do something that let him have an impact in his field because he was ready to be a warrior for the environment.”
Bill and Tanya hope their gifts will keep Colton’s presence alive through the achievements of future generations.
“He was my only child,” Bill said. “There wasn’t an issue of having an estate for other children. I wanted to honor the work that he didn’t get a chance to do.”
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