The 10th Annual DFI Educational Trust Gala Fundraising Dinner in November at The Chart House in Weehawken, N.J., raised $40,000 in net proceeds to support the Stanley Merjan Civil Engineering Scholarship at City College of New York (CCNY), the Women in Deep Foundations Fund and the DFI Educational Trust General Fund.
During the event, Stanley Merjan Civil Engineering Scholarships were awarded to four students from the Grove School of Engineering at CCNY.
- Yehuda Holzer, a senior pursuing a degree in civil engineering with specializations in structural engineering and construction. Holzer is the president of the ASCE student chapter at CCNY and is actively involved in the DFI chapter on campus.
- Frank Poma, a senior studying civil engineering with a focus on construction engineering management. Poma is involved with Engineers Without Borders and is currently the project manager for the structural design of a 12,000 square foot community center on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
- Linette Prasad, a third-year civil engineering student in the Macaulay Honors College at CCNY. Prasad is an active member in the ASCE and DFI chapters at CCNY, the United Steel Bridge Team and is secretary of the Concrete Canoe Club.
- Lea Rivera, a civil engineering student with a concentration in structures. She previously graduated cum laude from Hunter College with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.
The Trust also presented a plaque to CCNY commemorating the founding donors of the Stanley Merjan Civil Engineering Scholarship. The plaque, accepted by Professor Julio F. Davalos, will be displayed at the Grove School of Engineering CCNY.
The keynote speaker at the event was Michael M. McHugh, executive vice president of Moretrench. He delivered a presentation titled “Geotechnical Emergency Responses,” which focused on Hurricane Irene, Super Storm Sandy, retaining wall failures on the Henry Hudson and Cannonsville Dam in Yonkers, as well as the post-9/11 slurry wall at the World Trade Center.
