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Durham College (DC) welcomed local civil engineering and planning services consultancy, D.G. Biddle & Associates Limited, to the Whitby campus in March to celebrate their gift of $50,000.
D.G Biddle’s generous donation allowed the college to purchase a Universal Testing Machine (UTM) for use in the Civil Engineering Technician and Technology programs, greatly enhancing students’ hands-on learning experience.
During the visit, first-year Civil Engineering Technology students, James Gallagher-Conejo and Zain Khan, demonstrated a double shear test on aluminum and copper.
“A UTM can be used to perform tensile, compression, shear, double shear, hardness, and flexure tests on materials like steel, aluminum, brass and copper,” explained Myla Minelli, Program Coordinator. “These tests allow students to understand how materials behave under different loading and how they are applied in real-world construction scenarios.”
After the demonstration, guests visited the D.G. Biddle & Associates Limited Computer-Aided Design Lab, named in recognition of the firm’s generous support for capital equipment at DC – the college’s top fundraising priority at this time.
“We’re proud to support students at Durham College,” said Michael Carswell, Managing Principal, D.G. Biddle & Associates. “We like to hire local talent and believe that supporting DC’s programs is a great way to contribute to the education of those seeking satisfying and rewarding careers in civil engineering.”
In 2024, D.G. Biddle & Associates Limited marked the company’s 50th anniversary. Located in Oshawa, their team includes technicians, clerical, and field personnel providing civil, structural, mechanical, electrical engineering and planning services to both private and public clients. Over the years, D.G. Biddle has built a strong partnership with the college, offering co-op and field placements to students as well as hiring DC grads.
“I’d like to thank Michael and the team at D.G. Biddle for seeing the value of DC’s civil engineering tech programs,” said Ariel Sully, Associate Vice President, Advancement and Alumni Relations. “This investment in our programs and students ensures our students have access to the equipment and opportunities they need to acquire the experience employers are looking for.”
