Lawrence B. Coleman is Professor Emeritus of Physics at UC Davis, and is the former Vice Provost for Research at the University of California. He served as Chair of the University-wide Academic Senate in the 1999-2000 academic year following a year as vice chair of the UC Senate during the 1998-1999 academic year. Arriving at Davis in 1976, he was promoted to Associate Professor in 1982. While at the University of California, Davis he has held the positions of Chair, Davis Division of the Academic Senate, 1995 - 1997; Director, The Internship and Career Center, 1988 - 1994; Acting Vice Provost - Academic Programs and Dean - Undergraduate Studies, 1991-1992; and Acting Associate Vice Chancellor - Academic Programs, 1990-1991.

Coleman's previous affiliations include: Postdoctoral Research Investigator, Department of Physics, University of Pennsylvania, 1975-1976 and Research Fellow, Department of Physics, University of Pennsylvania, 1970-1975.

Lawrence Coleman received a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1975 in experimental condensed matter physics He received a B.A. in physics from The Johns Hopkins University in 1970. His research focused on far infrared spectroscopy, phase transitions in solids, and structure-property relationships and has been supported by the National Science Foundation, NASA, The Petroleum Research Fund and the Research Corporation. Coleman was a co-principal investigator for an NSF funded project to re-invent the way in which college physics is taught. He has been a consultant to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Aerojet General Corporation.

Coleman was elected to membership in the Phi Kappa Phi, Honor Society in 1993, he received the Citation for the University of California, Davis Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award for 1987-88, was a Regents Junior Faculty Fellow in 1977 and 1981, received the Earle C. Anthony Faculty Research Award in 1976, and was an IBM Corporation Predoctoral Fellow from 1973-75. His society memberships include: American Physical Society (life member), Society for Applied Spectroscopy, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Association of Higher Education, and Sigma Xi.

Coleman was a trustee and member of the Executive Committee for Explorit, The Davis Regional Science Center, 1992-1997, and Chair of their Program Committee. He also sat on the Steering Committee for the Northern California Science Alliance from 1991-93. He served as a CCST Council member from 2005-2007 and was appointed a CCST Fellow in 2008.

As Professor Emeritus he has continued to serve the Davis campus by a recall appointment for teaching and as Chair of the External Scientific Advisory Committee for the Research Investments in Science and Engineering grants program.