The Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) Educational Trust recently awarded scholarships from the Stanley Merjan City College of New York Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund, George J. Tamaro Manhattan College Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund and the William F. Loftus Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Four Grove School of Engineering students received the Stanley Merjan City College of New York Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund awards. The fund was established in 2010 and is named for the late Stanley Merjan, an inspiration and mentor to young engineers throughout the construction industry, and also a graduate of City College of New York. The recipients were seniors Authoy Khondoker and Jurgen Lala, receiving $5,000, and juniors Alexander Estrella and Chaw Nandar, receiving $2,500.
Eight Manhattan University students received $2,500 each in awards – seniors Tito Mora and Julia Tsesmetzis received awards from the William F. Loftus Memorial Scholarship Fund, recently established in memory of Bill Loftus, a DFI founder and the only DFI president to serve twice, and senior civil engineering students Armando Flores, Bruce Jiang, Sabrina Kievit, Volodymyr Kurchak, Isabella O’Hara and Domenick Recine received award from the George J. Tamaro Manhattan College Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund. The scholarship honours George J. Tamaro, a member of the first class of DFI Legends award winners and a graduate of Manhattan University.
The students were recognized at the Trust’s annual gala held in New York City, N.Y., on Nov. 6, 2025, at Terrace On The Park. The event raised more than $30,000. Proceeds from this event benefited the aforementioned William F. Loftus Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides annual scholarships to undergraduate and graduate civil engineering students in the department of civil and environmental engineering at Manhattan University.