Stories

Stefan works out of Loureiro’s St. Louis, Missouri office and has been with the company for nearly two years. Over that time, his responsibilities went from managing and operating one of Loureiro’s water treatment facilities that process coal combustion residue to performing and monitoring groundwater chemical injections, including the use of anaerobic bacteria and oxidation to reduce pollution in the ground. These injection projects are related to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) originating from industrial cleaners and solvents that got into the groundwater.

“We have a plume in Missouri we’ve been remediating in-situ, which includes pumping certain chemicals in the ground to address the pollution without having to deal with it on the surface. We do a lot of monitoring to identify if and where the pollution is moving, and to see if the injections help reduce these pollutants.”

Known for his attention to detail, Stefan has worked across the country in support of remediation projects like these, having recently returned from being on site in Rhode Island injecting oxidizer in the ground to reduce a plume, working in collaboration with Loureiro’s New Hampshire office.

From childhood, Stefan always had an interest in earth sciences, but when he got into college he wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted to do. Having grown up in a small town he decided that he wanted to see something different, seeking a different view of the country and new experiences. That desire led him to join the Air Force where he became a weather forecaster, a position he held for almost a decade before returning to school.

After graduating from Missouri University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Geological / Geophysical Engineering, Stefan went to work for a company that took on geotechnical and mining projects. His role saw him designing underground mine profiles that detailed slope and rock stability - work that included exploration drilling design and calculation packages in support of the mine’s operation. He also started getting into more environmental work, completing compliance and groundwater sampling projects, and got involved with air permitting projects. It was while he was on a job site doing a geotechnical investigation that he was introduced to Loureiro.

With a career that has seen him tackle many different disciplines, Stefan says that a good mentor is essential to helping you navigate your career path.

“I think that’s one thing our education system doesn’t always do a great job of,” Stefan says. “A lot of times you’re being prepared to pass a class rather than focusing on the steps you need to take once you graduate. I think it’s important to find someone that can help you navigate the path, someone who does the work that you’re interested in doing, and reach out to them and keep in contact. That sort of mentorship can help get you where you want to go.”

For Stefan, that mentorship came through his uncle, a fellow geological engineer. He took the time to help Stefan along the way, suggesting to him rewarding and marketable paths he could take that would help build his skillset and put him in the best position to do the type of work he wanted.

“My uncle put me in contact with people who actually worked in the field,” Stefan says. “Because of that I was able to see things before I got into them. It was the type of exposure I was looking for while I was in school but couldn’t always find.”

Outside of work, Stefan has a wide array of interests. A self-proclaimed “tech junkie,” he spends time working with computers and other electronics, and also has taken on photography as a hobby.

One of his true passions is woodworking. He remembers hanging out in his grandfather’s shop among the saw blades and work benches, memories that have stuck with him. Stefan is currently making end grain cutting boards to give out for the holidays. Because the grain faces up, a kitchen knife won’t sever any wood fibers, meaning your knives stay sharper longer.

“I always thought it was cool to build something, to create something that is well-engineered. So much of what we buy these days is meant to break and be thrown away so we can buy another one,” Stefan says. “I suppose that building something that is meant to last appeals to my nature.”