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DFI Educational Trust Awards Record Amount of Scholarship Funds to Students Pursuing Careers in Deep Foundations

DFI Educational Trust Awards Record Amount of Scholarship Funds to Students Pursuing Careers in Deep Foundations

Hawthorne, N.J.:  The DFI Educational Trust awarded $195,750 in scholarships this spring, which is the largest amount ever provided by the Trust during the spring round of applications. More scholarships will be awarded in the fall, thanks to the generosity of many donors and fundraising event participants and sponsors.

“Since 2006, the Trust has awarded $1.6 million in scholarships and grants to at least 450 students,” says Rudy Frizzi of LANGAN and chair of the DFI Educational Trust. “Our work to attract the best and brightest students to the industry continues. The Trust has committed to nearly doubling the amount of scholarship and grant awards in the coming year.”

The awards were provided from the following DFI Educational Trust Scholarship funds to 29 exceptional students preparing for a career in the civil engineering and construction fields:

  • Charles J. Berkel Memorial Scholarship Fund (BERKEL)
  • DFI Educational Trust General Fund (GENERAL)
  • Francis Gularte Scholarship Fund (GULARTE)
  • Clyde N. Baker Jr. Foundation Engineering Scholarship Fund (BAKER)
  • Thomas Wysockey Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund (WYSOCKEY)
  • John O’Malley Scholarship Fund (O’MALLEY)
  • Fred H. Kulhawy Scholarship Fund (KULHAWY)
  • Goble Rausche Likins Scholarship Fund (GRL)
  • Terracon Consultants Scholarship Fund (TERRACON)
  • Michael L. Condon Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund (CONDON)

Following are the recent scholarship recipients:

  • Cesar Bedolla-Hurtado, junior at Washington State University, awarded a total of $10,000 from BERKEL and BAKER
  • Aynaz Biniyaz, graduate student at Michigan Technological University, awarded $5,000 from GENERAL
  • Johnathan Blanchard, graduate student at University of Arkansas, awarded a total of $10,000 from WYSOCKEY and BERKEL
  • Julian Collins, junior at University of Idaho, awarded a total of $7,500 from BERKEL and KULHAWY
  • Kristina Crivello, graduate student at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, awarded a total of $7,500 from BERKEL and GULARTE
  • Erick Christian Cruz, graduate student at Texas A&M University, awarded $5,000 from GRL
  • Joan Deitsch, junior at University of Notre Dame, awarded $5,000 from BERKEL
  • Olivia Edwards, junior at Oregon State University, awarded $5,000 from CONDON
  • Hossein Emami Ahari, graduate student at Iowa State University, awarded a total of $10,000 from BERKEL and O’MALLEY
  • Andres Espinosa, graduate student at University of Maine, awarded $5,000 from GENERAL
  • Julian Feldberg, junior at Rochester Institute of Technology, awarded $5,000 from BERKEL
  • Nicole Gee, sophomore at San Diego State University, awarded $5,000 from CONDON
  • Jacqueline Gomez, sophomore at California State Polytechnic-Pomona, awarded $5,000 from BERKEL
  • Elisabetta Iannetti, graduate student at Drexel University, awarded $5,000 from GENERAL
  • Xiaohang Ji, graduate student at Pennsylvania State University, awarded a total of $7,500 from BERKEL and GULARTE
  • Amanda Lewis, graduate student at University of South Florida, awarded $5,000 from BERKEL
  • Bruma Mendonca de Souza, graduate student at University of New Hampshire, awarded a total of $10,000 from BERKEL and O’MALLEY
  • Lillian Moy, sophomore at Hofstra University, awarded a total of $10,000 from BERKEL and O’MALLEY
  • Lucia Moya, graduate student at University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, awarded a total of $10,000 from WYSOCKEY and BERKEL
  • Vanessa Orchoa, sophomore at San Diego State University, awarded $5,000 from BERKEL
  • Rameezali Raja, graduate student at Purdue University, awarded a total of $10,000 from WYSOCKEY and BERKEL
  • Lexie Rennemo, senior at North Dakota State University, awarded a total $10,000 from WYSOCKEY and BERKEL
  • Venkata Abhishek Sakleshpur, graduate student at Purdue University, awarded $5,000 from GRL
  • Ethan Schaefer, senior at Washington State University, awarded $5,000 from BERKEL
  • Seth Tawiah, graduate student at Washington State University, awarded $5,000 from CONDON
  • Joelle Westcott, graduate student at University of Colorado, Boulder, awarded a total of $8,250 from BERKEL and TERRACON
  • Chadwick Whims, senior at University of Akron, awarded $5,000 from WYSOCKEY
  • Ehsan Yazdani, graduate student at Oregon State University, awarded $5,000 from CONDON
  • Alexander Zubrow, junior at Virginia Tech, awarded $5,000 from BERKEL

To support students who may be your future employees, consider donating to one of the DFI Educational Trust scholarship funds at www.dfitrust.org/donate.

About the DFI Educational Trust

The Deep Foundations Institute Educational Trust (www.dfitrust.org) is an independent, 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2006 by the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) as its charitable arm. The mission of the Trust is to support and encourage individuals in the fields of study related to the deep foundation industry by providing scholarships and opportunities to meet and work with deep foundation industry leaders.

About the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI)

DFI (www.dfi.org) is an international association of contractors, engineers, suppliers, manufacturers, academics and owners in the deep foundations industry. Our multidisciplinary membership creates a consensus voice and a common vision for continual improvement in the planning, design and construction of deep foundations and excavations. We bring together members for networking, education, communication and collaboration. With our members, we promote the advancement of the deep foundations industry through technical committees, educational programs and conferences, publications, research, government relations and outreach. DFI has more than 4,000 members worldwide.