IGSHPA, NGWA to Hold Joint Conference in Nashville

The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) has partnered with the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) to hold a joint conference this December in Nashville.

“I am thrilled to be heading to Nashville for IGSHPA’s first conference in three years,” says IGSHPA Chairperson Kortney Lull. “As a longtime supporter of both IGSHPA and NGWA, it makes sense to have our industries aligned in a variety of ways. Geothermal heat pump technology is catching the attention of so many building owners and clean energy stakeholders and we need the knowledge and expertise of NGWA’s members if we are going to be successful in growing the market. I can’t wait to see everyone in Music City.”

In a release, IGSHPA says the combined Groundwater Week show Dec. 14-16 at Music City Center makes sense because of the groups’ long-standing relationship. The event will offer a range of continuing education and networking opportunities.

“IGSHPA’s participation in this year’s event adds a wonderful element to the proceedings,” says NGWA Chief Executive Officer Terry Morse. “There are long-standing partnerships between the professionals in our industries and I am certain that we all have a lot to share. It’s an exciting time to be getting back to business and we’re looking forward to a successful and engaging event this December.”

IGSHPA says the event, its first in 2018, will offer members an opportunity to “re-engage with the groundwater and drilling community at a time when those skills are more in demand than ever before.”

NGWA is a nonprofit that supports responsible development, management and use of water resources. It is comprised of groundwater professionals ranging from contractors to equipment manufacturers to scientists and engineers. For more information, visit www.ngwa.org.

IGSHPA is an affiliate organization of GEO, a 501(c)(6) non-profit national trade association advocating for the geothermal heat pump industry. Its mission is to serve as the training and accreditation organization for the ground-source heat pump industry. For more information, visit igshpa.org.

DFI Educational Trust Awards Women in Deep Foundations Grants

The Deep Foundations Institute Educational Trust has awarded five $1,750 Women in Deep Foundations (WiDF) Professional Development Grants. Grants include complimentary conference registration to the DFI’s 46th Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Oct. 12-15, and cover expenses for attending the conference.

This year’s recipients are:

• Sangeen A. Desai, deputy manager-business manager, Keller Ground Engineering, India

• Lauren Dziagwa, PE, geotechnical project engineer, American Geotechnical and Environmental Services (AGES)

• Min Liew, graduate research assistant, The Pennsylvania State University

• Abigail Stein, PE, geotechnical engineer, GEI Consultants

• Gaby Vasquez, staff geotechnical engineer, D&S Engineering Labs

The grants will be presented during the Annual Conference at the Women in Deep Foundations (WiDF) 6th annual networking event at 6:30 p.m., Oct. 12. To register for the reception or to sponsor the event, visit www.dfi.org/Annual2021.

The WiDF Committee is comprised of women and men who are advocates for retaining women in the deep foundations industry. The goal of the committee is to foster greater success and interest of professional women in the industry by promoting networking events, endorsing outreach and building mentoring relationships.

The DFI is an international association of contractors, engineers, academics and suppliers in the deep foundations industry with more than 3,500 members worldwide. For more information about the Deep Foundations Institute, visit www.dfi.org.

The Deep Foundations Institute Educational Trust is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2006 as the charitable arm of the DFI. The mission of the trust is to support and encourage individuals in the fields of study related to the deep foundations industry by providing scholarships and opportunities to meet and work with deep foundations industry leaders.