Steven Gomes is studying civil engineering at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, USA, and has now been a guest at the Chair of Tunnelling and Construction Management as part of a three-month research internship.

Steven Gomes visited Germany with his father back in 2016 and has always hoped to return to study: “It has always been a dream of mine to study engineering in Germany.” Steven Gomes fulfilled this wish during a three-month research internship at the Chair of Tunnelling and Construction Management, which he completed as part of the RISE program of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The scholarship program offers around 300 STEM research internships in Germany each year for students from North America, the UK and Ireland. Steven Gomes received support for his participation from Dr. Tan Gürpinar, Assistant Professor of Business Analytics and Information Systems at the School of Business at Quinnipiac University and also a member of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML in Dortmund.

As part of his work at the Chair of Tunnelling and Construction Management, Steven Gomes experimented with bentonite suspensions and foam bubbles with various surfactants, which are crucial for soil stabilization in tunnel construction. Gomes also took the opportunity to visit the company G.U.N.T. Gerätebau GmbH in Hamburg during his stay.

In the geotechnical laboratory at Quinnipiac University, Steven Gomes is continuing his research activities from Germany as part of his final project. After graduation, expected in May 2025, Steven Gomes will begin working as an engineer at Tighe & Bond, a Connecticut-based engineering and environmental consulting firm.