The Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) Educational Trust has awarded the first-ever Michael L. Condon Civil Engineering Scholarship in the amount of $5,000. Drew Rommel, an undergraduate civil engineering student at Oregon State University, is the recipient.

The Condon Scholarship Fund was established in 2015 with an initial donation by Condon-Johnson and Associates of Oakland, Calif., in memory of Michael L. Condon, co-founder of the company and a leader in the deep foundations industry.

Condon began his career in the deep foundations industry with Kiewit Construction at the age of 23, after serving in the U.S. Air Force from 1967-1971. Driven to succeed, he started as a pile driving superintendent and was quickly promoted. An effective leader, he successfully grew a division of Kiewit and, between 1979 and 1984, was responsible for building the structural foundations that support many of San Francisco's tallest buildings.

In 1984, he teamed up with James Johnson to transform what was then Kulchin and Associates, a small shoring company, into a major West Coast foundation and drilling company now known as Condon-Johnson & Associates. As a driving force in the construction industry, Condon completed some of the most innovative shoring and foundation projects in the country.

Condon brought his energy and passion to everything he did in life, making him a dynamic force in the construction industry. He died unexpectedly in 2002 at the age of 54.

The Michael L. Condon Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund benefits civil engineering students attending the following schools: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly Pomona, San Diego State University, Santa Clara University, University of California-Davis, Oregon State University, Washington State University, Montana Tech, University of Colorado-Boulder and Virginia Tech.

The DFI is an international association of contractors, engineers, academics and suppliers in the deep foundations industry with more than 3,300 members worldwide. For more information about the Deep Foundations Institute, visit www.dfi.org.