The Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) Educational Trust has awarded two students with Manuel Fine Civil Engineering Scholarships, each in the amount of $2,500.
Lauren Augustin is an undergraduate civil engineering student at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. Augustin developed her interest in the deep foundation industry after working at a design-build construction firm, noting in her essay that, “working at the firm…revealed the complexity of the field and made me interested in pursuing it further.”
Yaman Zahra is an undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in civil engineering at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. Zahra noted in his essay that his internship for a foundation contractor caused him to realize that, “foundation work is way more interesting and challenging than any other type of construction because you are dealing with the earth, which is filled with surprises.”
The Manuel Fine Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund was established in 2013 with generous donations from Bermingham Foundation Solutions (where Fine was employed for 23 years), the Heavy Construction Association of Ontario, the Heavy Construction Association of Toronto and the Ontario Association of Foundation Specialists.
The fund honors Fine, who served DFI for 24 years in many roles, including trustee, president, executive director, managing editor of Deep Foundations magazine, and in recent years, as publisher of the DFI Journal. The fund provides scholarships only for civil engineering students attending universities in the Province of Ontario.
Donations to the Manuel Fine Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund can be made online at www.dfitrust.org.
The Deep Foundations Institute Educational Trust is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2006 by the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) as its charitable arm. Its mission 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.
DFI is an international association of over 3,300 members worldwide, made up of contractors, engineers, suppliers, manufacturers, academics and owners in the deep foundations industry. Their multidisciplinary membership creates a consensus voice and a common vision for continual improvement in the planning, design, and construction of deep foundations and excavations. The DFI brings together members for networking, education, communication and collaboration, and promotes the advancement of the deep foundations industry through technical committees, educational programs and conferences, publications, research, government relations and outreach.
