Engineering a legacy

Sherry Heins honors her late husband, Don Heins (ChE '74), through the largest endowed scholarship in CEMS history

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (08/10/2026) — A high school counselor advised Don Heins (Chemical Engineering '74) not to apply to the University of Minnesota because he wouldn't get in. Don applied anyway. When the acceptance letter arrived, his mother proudly carried it into the counselor's office.

By 10th grade, Don already knew he wanted to become a chemical engineer. Getting there wasn't easy. He worked summer jobs, took out student loans and borrowed money from his parents to earn his degree.

"He felt an education gave you opportunities to fulfill your goals and your dreams," said his wife, Sherry. "He believed a degree got your foot in the door so you could prove what you could do."

After carefully managing his budget to attend every Gopher football game, Don graduated and joined Dow Corning as a process engineer. He spent his entire career with the company in Michigan before retiring in 2007. Incredibly proud of his degree from the University of Minnesota, he told his friends and colleagues in Michigan that he went to the real “U of M.”

Many people view work as a means to an end. Don was different.

"It was his passion," Sherry said.

Don often said engineers were hired for the way they think. He described chemical engineering as a combination of a baker and a plumber. Whether helping Sherry through difficult physics classes, supporting her pursuit of multiple degrees or planning their retirement together in Hawaii, Don approached life with the same thoughtful determination.

"I used to joke that I would go from A to M to Z when making a decision, while Don had to go through the entire alphabet," Sherry said. "We always arrived at the same answer."

When Don passed away unexpectedly in November 2025, Sherry wanted to honor the values that guided his life.

"When you lose someone you love deeply, you don't want them forgotten," she said.

Through a combination of outright gifts and a future estate commitment, Sherry established the Donald E. and Sharon S. Heins Scholarship in Chemical Engineering to honor Don’s legacy — the largest endowed undergraduate scholarship in the department's history.

The scholarship supports students with demonstrated financial need, helping them defray the cost of their education while providing something equally valuable: time. Time to focus on academics, pursue research and internships, and discover where their ambitions can lead.

The first recipient of the Heins Scholarship, Tyler Little (Chemical Engineering '27), will receive support beginning in fall 2026. Little plans to attend medical school and hopes to address healthcare disparities in underserved communities.

"Working as an EMT in a Level 1 trauma center has shown me how inequalities affect patients," Little said. "I want to be a physician who helps people when they feel like no one is there for them. The Heins Scholarship will help reduce my student debt, allowing me to become much closer to achieving my dream."

Through students like Little, Don and Sherry's belief in the power of education will continue creating opportunities for generations to come.

Like Sherry Heins, you can see your philanthropic vision come to life today while creating an enduring legacy for the College of Science and Engineering. Learn how you can make an estate gift to the University of Minnesota.  To make a gift in support of the Heins Scholarship, visit the scholarship page.