DFI Educational Trust — A Retrospective The DFI Educational Trust has come a long way in the eight years since it was founded in 2006 by a group of enthusiastic members of the DFI Board of Trustees. Since that time, the Trust has provided over $408,000 in scholarships to more than 100 students attending 10 public and private universities across the U.S. The Trust’s assets, just under $100,000 at the end of 2006, have grown to $1.8 million as of the end of 2013. Similarly, its annual net income (after scholarships have been distributed) has steadily grown from $98,000 in 2006 to an all-time high of $197,000 in 2013. In 2008, the Trust received a giant boost when Charles J. Berkel (1925-2013) had his company, Berkel & Company Contractors, Inc., make a $1 million donation to the Trust to establish a fund that, each year, awards $50,000 in scholarships. His generosity will continue helping students for generations to come. Currently, the Trust administers eight scholarship funds, some of which are still in their initial development stages while others, such as the Stanley Merjan City College of New York Civil Engineering Scholarship and the Carnegie Mellon Fund, are close to reaching their endowment goals. A sincere and heartfelt thank you goes out to all the donors and event sponsors who have contributed to the Trust throughout the last eight years. We look forward to your continued support. Be sure to review the Trust’s 2013 Annual Report www.dfitrust.org. Trust Board Welcomes New Member Lars Richter Lars Richter, general manager of AECON Foundations (Canada), was elected to serve a two-year term as an At-Large Trustee on the Board of Trustees of the DFI Educational Trust. Upcoming DFI Trust Fundraising Events July 21 The Annual Golf Outing Fundraiser at Chartiers Country Club in Pittsburgh, PA August 7 The Ben C. Gerwick Award for Innovation in the Design and Construction of Marine Foundations in conjunction with the Marine Foundations Seminar, Westchester Marriott, Tarrytown, NY August 11 DFI Educational Trust and ACE Mentor Program of NJ Annual Golf Outing, Somerset County, NJ October 23 Awards Reception/Dinner at DFI’s 39th Annual Conference on Deep Foundations, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, GA The Annual Golf Outing Fundraiser at the Castlewood Country Club, Pleasanton, CA October 27 Annual Gala Fundraising Dinner to benefit DFI Educational Trust Stanley Merjan CCNY Civil Engineering Scholarship, LibertyHouse, Jersey City, NJ November 6 Dr. Paul W. Mayne Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Mayne is an inter- national researcher, focusing on in-situ testing, geotechnical site characterization and the evaluation of rock and soil properties. The Hal Hunt Lecture was established Check for details at www.dfitrust.org in 1989 to recognize notable communi- cators in the deep foundations industry. The lecture was named in honor of Hal W. Hunt, one of the initial organizers of DFI. DEEP FOUNDATIONS • MAY/JUN 2014 • 51 David Coleman, Chair [email protected] Prior to AECON, Richter was business unit leader at Laing O’Rourke Infrastructure, U.K. From 2002 to 2010, he was employed by Bauer in several managerial and technical capacities in both Europe and Canada. Richter holds an M.S. in Civil Engineering from Technical University Braunschweig, Germany. The Trust looks forward to his participation and assistance, especially with the Trust’s educational initiatives in Canada. Hal Hunt Lecture The Hal Hunt Lecture will take place during the 39th Annual Conference in Atlanta, October 21-24, 2014. The lecture, funded by the Hal Hunt Fund of the DFI Educational Trust, is being presented by Dr. Paul W. Mayne, professor of Geo- systems Engineering, School of Civil and
