DFI Educational Trust Awards 12 Scholarships at Annual Gala, Announces New Leadership

The 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 awards from the Stanley Merjan City College of New York Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund. 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 a graduate of City College of New York. The recipients were seniors Authoy Khondoker and Jurgen Lala, who each received $5,000, and juniors Alexander Estrella and Chaw Nandar, who each received $2,500.

Eight Manhattan University students each received $2,500 awards, two 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. The recipients were seniors Tito Mora and Julia Tsesmetzis. And six from the George J. Tamaro Manhattan College Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund. The scholarship is named for George J. Tamaro, a member of the first class of DFI Legends award winners and a graduate of Manhattan University. The recipients, all senior civil engineering students, were Armando Flores, Bruce Jiang, Sabrina Kievit, Volodymyr Kurchak, Isabella O’Hara and Domenick Recine.

The students were recognized at the Trust’s Annual Gala held in New York 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.

To donate to these and other scholarship funds, visit www.trust.dfi.org.

New Leadership

DFI Educational Trust also announced that Helen Robinson, P.E., PMP, BC.GE, GEI Consultants,has been named chair of the Trust and Andrew Verity, Terracon Consultants, succeeds Robinson as secretary after serving as a trustee since 2017. Rudy Frizzi, P.E., G.E., BC.GE, LANGAN, who served as chair since 2021, is now the immediate past chair and an emeritus trustee. Zac Curanovic, P.E., Underpinning & Foundation Skanska, continues his role as vice chair and Lori Simpson, P.E., G.E., LANGAN, remains the treasurer. Howard Perko, Ph.D., P.E., Magnum Piering, has joined the board as a trustee.

“Helen’s role of trustee and secretary of the Trust makes her ideally suited to take the helm as chair,” says Theresa Engler, Executive Director of DFI and the DFI Educational Trust. “She has shown her dedication and leadership to the mission of the Trust, initiating and leading programs that support and encourage students, underserved communities and emerging professionals in the deep foundations industry.”

Robinson is a vice president, senior project manager and branch manager at GEI Consultants near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Penn State University and has over 20 years of experience in design, analysis and construction of micropiles, tiebacks, soil nails, retaining walls, braced excavation support, grouting and ground improvement methods. She is past president of the ASCE Geo-Institute Board of Governors for 2025-2026. She recently completed her term as co-chair of the DFI-ADSC joint Micropile Committee and was the first chair of the DFI Women in Deep Foundations Committee. Robinson was named 2023 Geotechnical Engineer of the Year by the ASCE Philadelphia Section and was a recipient of a DFI President’s Award in 2023.