About Our Funds

This scholarship was established in 2024, in memory of William F. (Bill) Loftus, a DFI founder and the only DFI president to serve the organization twice in that role, 1981-82 and 1984-85.

The fund will provide annual scholarships to undergraduate and graduate civil engineering students in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Manhattan University, Bill’s alma mater. Recipients must demonstrate academic merit, financial need and an interest in the deep foundations industry via civil or geotechnical engineering. Manhattan University selects the recipients.

The Clyde N. Baker, Jr. Foundation Engineering Scholarship Fund was established in 2020 to honor Baker’s contributions to the deep foundations industry. The fund provides scholarship awards to students enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate civil engineering program at any accredited college or university in the United States. Recipients must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0, or, alternatively, a “B” or its equivalent; demonstrate an interest in the area of foundations engineering; and demonstrate financial need.

The Stanley Merjan CCNY Scholarship was established in 2010 by the DFI Educational Trust as an endowed fund to provide $10,000 a year in scholarships to students of the City College of New York (CCNY) Grove School of Engineering. The Scholarship is named for the late Stanley Merjan, P.E., D. GE, Senior Consultant with Soil Solutions Inc., who was an inspiration and mentor to young engineers throughout the construction industry. Merjan's substantial personal contribution helped initiate this endowed fund.

In 2016, the DFI Educational Trust established the George J. Tamaro Engineering Scholarship as an endowed fund to provide $10,000 a year in scholarships to students in the department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Manhattan University — Tamaro’s alma mater — located in Riverdale, N.Y. The Scholarship is named after George Tamaro, P.E., Manhattan University graduate and the very first DFI Legends — Engineer Award recipient. Tamaro, a consultant with Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers, is a structural engineer with over 50 years of experience in foundation engineering.