Paul DeBruyn Memorial Student Scholarship
All available grants for 2025 have been awarded | Please check back in Spring of 2026
Through the generosity of the Paul DeBruyn Memorial Student Scholarship Fund, the Trust provides undergraduate and graduate students currently pursuing studies in the fields of geotechnical and foundation engineering with complimentary attendance to the DFI Annual Conference along with travel assistance.
Award
In 2026, thirty-five travel grants of $1,000 each are available to support past scholarship recipients and applicants who wish to attend DFI’s Annual Conference. These grants cover lodging, meals, travel and other related expenses. Additionally, recipients receive full conference registration at no cost.
The award is contingent upon the students’ attendance at the conference, and reimbursement will be provided in the form of a check at the end of the event.
Eligibility & Requirements
All DFI Educational Trust Scholarship recipients in the past two scholarship cycles (Fall 2025 and Spring 2026) are invited to apply for these grants to meet with industry members at DFI’s Annual Conference.
If grants are still available, scholarship applicants from the Fall/Spring cycles will be invited to apply and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
R. Paul DeBruyn (1947-1997)
DeBruyn graduated from the University of Washington and served two years in the U.S. Army, including a 12-month tour of service in Vietnam.
In the last 14 years of his life Paul was president and general manager of Pacific American Commercial Company (PACO), Seattle, Washington; a company his family founded in 1955. He managed PACO’s worldwide operations, including sales and leasing of heavy contractors’ machinery and other construction equipment.
In addition to DFI, DeBruyn was active in Associated General Contractors, the Associated Equipment Distributors, ADSC, and other trade associations.
R. Paul DeBruyn, was a member of the DFI Board of Trustees and chair of the Organizing Committee for the 1998 DFI Annual Meeting. He died at the age of 50 in a tragic automobile accident on December 19, 1997 in Portland, Oregon.
