Civil engineering major completes prestigious international internship in Germany

January 22, 2025

Steven Gomes stands on train tracks

Civil engineering major Steven Gomes ’25 recently capped his ambitious Quinnipiac journey with a prestigious international internship at the Institute for Tunnelling and Construction Management at Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany. 

“It’s the largest tunneling university in the world," said Gomes. "I worked alongside world-renowned people I’ve read about in my geotechnical class, which was surreal. Every day was a learning experience.”

Gomes undertook the three-month research internship through the DAAD German Academic Exchange Service RISE program. The scholarship program offers about 300 summer STEM research internships annually in Germany for undergraduate students from North America, Great Britain and Ireland.

Gomes had visited Germany in 2016 with his father and had always hoped he would return to study there.

“I’ve always considered Germany the apex of engineering and it’s always been a dream of mine to do engineering in Germany,” said Gomes.

He thanks Assistant Professor of Business Analytics & Information Systems Tan Gürpinar for introducing him to the opportunity to study in Germany through the DAAD RISE program.

“Dr. Gürpinar not only introduced me to the DAAD RISE program but went out of his way to assist me in my application process,” Gomes said.

Prior to joining Quinnipiac, Gürpinar led the 360° Initiative at Blockchain Europe and the Blockchain Team at Dortmund University of Technology, where he co-founded a pioneering research group and industry meetup focused on distributed ledger technologies.

“I have always believed in the power of mentorship and the impact of international exchange,” Gürpinar said. “Early in my career in Germany at Technical University Dortmund, I was introduced to the DAAD RISE program and I saw it as an incredible opportunity for students to gain real-world research experience while broadening their horizons. I wanted to play a role in guiding students on their personal development journey, learning new skills but also exploring another country and culture at the same time.”

Gürpinar said Gomes’ curiosity and persistence immediately stood out during the competitive selection process.

“He demonstrated a solid academic foundation but also a great enthusiasm for problem-solving, which is critical in research. What really impressed me was how he managed setbacks on the way,” Gürpinar said.

Due to a limited number of available funded seats for the internship, Gomes was initially placed on the acceptance waitlist.

“When I was waitlisted, my heart sunk but I was not taking no for an answer,” Gomes said. “I reached out to Dr Gürpinar and he wrote a letter which helped to get co-funding for my seat.”

Gomes said his international internship experience confirmed his appreciation for the culture and people of Germany, while also allowing him to gain a wealth of knowledge and interest in subsurface engineering.

His work involved experimenting with bentonite suspensions and foam bubbles with different surfactants, key materials in tunneling operations which are critical for soil stabilization and lubrication in tunnel construction.

“He contributed significantly to the ongoing research projects and was fast in adapting to a new working environment and culture,” Gürpinar said. “I did not expect him to also connect way outside the host university and state, but he did.”

For example, Gomes joined an initiative to visit engineering pioneer GUNT in Hamburg.

“Working with bentonite suspensions, foam bubbles of different surfactants, and visiting several giants in the tunneling industry, I was fortunate enough to learn from some of the greatest minds in the world,” said Gomes. “And blending myself into the German culture, environment and norms, and just living with the Germans, is something I’ll never forget.”

In his geotechnical engineering lab work at Quinnipiac, Gomes is working on a capstone project which continues the type of research he initiated in Germany. After graduating in May, Gomes will enter his profession as a staff engineer with Tighe & Bond, a Connecticut-based engineering and environmental consulting firm.

Gomes initially connected with Tighe & Bond during Quinnipiac’s annual Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology Career Fair.

“I had talked to them at the career fair last year about an internship; but at that point the Germany internship was locked in,” Gomes said. “But they were able to work on a co-op with me for this semester, and recently I accepted a full-time position with them that starts the Monday after I graduate.”

Gomes said his Quinnipiac experience has opened a world of possibilities which have helped pave the way to the start of an exciting career.

“This internship is a huge part of that,” said Gomes. “I would encourage other STEM students to try for it. It’s something in my early years that I would have never expected to do. If I kept my mindset, I wouldn’t have tried, and it wouldn’t have ever happened.” 

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