Civil engineering student Jorge Orozco-Herrera has been named a 2023 recipient of the Thomas J. Wysockey Civil Engineering Scholarship, sponsored by the Deep Foundations Institute. He is one of 32 students to receive a scholarship through the DFI Educational Trust and one of three recipients of the Wysockey scholarship.
“This scholarship means for me more than just the funds,” Orozco-Herrera says. “I value more the support that this institution gives to me through this acknowledgement. It is an encouragement to keep working on improving my skills and furthering my knowledge to be the best I can possibly be. It is also an indirect acknowledgement to my advisor’s work and the members of our lab who collaborated with me throughout the years.”
The scholarship, worth $5,000, is awarded to exceptional students who are pursuing an education in civil or construction engineering in the U.S.
Orozco-Herrera currently conducts research under the tutelage of Associate Professor Luis Arboleda-Monsalve. He was considered for the scholarship based on the strength of his research projects, which focus on deep foundation construction vibrations effects on surrounding soils in the state Florida and spacing effects on the group capacity of auger cast piles. The projects are funded by the Florida Department of Transportation and include experimental, numerical and field studies.
The Thomas J. Wysockey Civil Engineering Scholarship was established in 2013 and named after the chairman emeritus of Thatcher Foundations Inc. Wysockey was very involved in industry organizations and was an inspiration to young construction engineers.
“Since inception, the Trust has awarded almost $2 million in scholarships and grants to more than 500 recipients at nearly 85 educational institutions,” says Rudy Frizzi of LANGAN and chair of the DFI Educational Trust. “The high rate at which scholarship applicants and awardees enter, stay and advance in the industry speaks volumes to the Trust’s positive impact.”
- Written by Marisa Ramiccio
- Oct. 26, 2023