The DFI Educational Trust recently awarded scholarships from the Stanley Merjan City College of New York Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund, George J. Tamaro Manhattan College Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund and the William F. Loftus Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Four Grove School of Engineering students received awards from the Stanley Merjan City College of New York Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund. The fund was established in 2010 and is named for the late Stanley Merjan, an inspiration and mentor to young engineers throughout the construction industry, and a graduate of City College of New York. The recipients were seniors Authoy Khondoker and Jurgen Lala, who each received $5,000, and juniors Alexander Estrella and Chaw Nandar, who each received $2,500.Â
Eight Manhattan University students each received $2,500 awards, two from the William F. Loftus Memorial Scholarship Fund, recently established in memory of Bill Loftus, a DFI founder and the only DFI president to serve twice. The recipients were seniors Tito Mora and Julia Tsesmetzis. And six from the George J. Tamaro Manhattan College Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund. The scholarship is named for George J. Tamaro, a member of the first class of DFI Legends award winners and a graduate of Manhattan University. The recipients, all senior civil engineering students, were Armando Flores, Bruce Jiang, Sabrina Kievit, Volodymyr Kurchak, Isabella O’Hara and Domenick Recine.
The students were recognized at the Trust’s Annual Gala held in New York on November 6, 2025, at Terrace On The Park. The event raised more than $30,000. Proceeds from this event benefited the aforementioned William F. Loftus Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides annual scholarships to undergraduate and graduate civil engineering students in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Manhattan University.