Destin Heilman

Destin grew up in western Pennsylvania and earned a BS in Microbiology from Penn State. He moved to Massachusetts to attend UMass Medical School where he met his wife and earned a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, afterwards taking a faculty position at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). There he serves as a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, specializing in novel treatments for cancer.

Destin sang in choral groups of all kinds starting with his high school chorus, then as a member of the Penn State Glee Club and their chamber group (Hi-Lo’s), the Penn State Varsity Quartet, as member of the Vocal Performance Lab at WPI, and many festival choruses. Beyond this, Destin has (too) many hobbies including mountaineering, woodworking, clock- and watchmaking, gaming, as well as astronomy and astrophotography, which includes hosting public star parties and outreach on preventing light pollution. Destin is also the current President of the Board of Trustees for the Southborough Open Land Foundation (SOLF), advocating for engagement with nature and the conservation of open land.