Don Marcellus, Director of Hydraulic Services – Boundary Equipment
During BCIT’s 50th Anniversary advertising campaign, a full mural advertisement at Burrard SkyTrain Station featured a young engineer on a job site—that was me. BCIT flew a photography crew all the way to a rugged industrial site in Prince Rupert to capture what real, applied engineering looks like in the field. Reflecting on that photo now, I am grateful for the education I received at BCIT and for the dedicated faculty who helped shape the way I still approach engineering problems today.
After first completing a Technology Diploma in Mechanical Design in 1999, I returned to BCIT and completed a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2011. To say that BCIT helped me build a rewarding career I am proud of, would be an understatement. I have been fortunate to work with talented people on fascinating projects, with my career focused primarily on the design, manufacture, and commissioning of heavy industrial machinery and complex hydraulic equipment.
It is an amazing feeling to drive across the Port Mann Bridge and remember standing on the bridge deck during construction, having contributed to that project’s success. Or to depart from a BC Ferries vessel over a hydraulic ramp I helped design and build. Or to know that I commissioned hydraulic systems used by many of BC’s hydroelectric dams to help supply the electricity that powers our homes and businesses.
An important part of truly understanding a problem is being able to put your hands on it, and you can’t usually do that from a cubicle. Through BCIT’s applied hands-on approach to teaching, engineering students have an incredible opportunity to develop an early appreciation for the value in rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty, an attribute which will serve any engineer very well in their career.
BCIT provided me with the foundational tools necessary to progress from junior engineering roles up through senior management positions in various organizations, and now as the Director of Hydraulic Services for Boundary Equipment. An important part of my job is to provide guidance to a team of promising young engineers, many of whom also graduated from BCIT, and work with them to develop innovative patentable products which bring value to our organization, and our client’s operations.
