Design, Manufacturing, Construction and Applied Tech at ACC

Troy DeFrates (pronounced: dee-fray-tus) has lived in Austin, TX since 1993. He was born in Oklahoma City and grew ups in the NW suburb of Houston - Klein, TX.

Troy is currently serving as interim Dean for the Design, Manufacturing, Construction, and Applied Technologies division at Austin Community College (ACC), where he oversees 11 workforce education departments including, Manufacturing, Automotive, Building Construction, Welding, Agriculture Sciences, and Architectural-Engineering Computer Aided Design, and HVAC.

Troy’s career in higher education began in 2006 where he taught welding and blacksmithing as an adjunct professor at ACC. In 2010, Troy was awarded a full-time faculty position of Welding Technology at ACC where he soon began serving the college as Assistant Department Chair. In 2015, Troy was named as the Department Chair for the Welding Technology program where he served until becoming interim dean of the division in July 2023.

Prior to working in higher education, Troy had a career as a professional welder, welding inspector, and architectural metal worker. Prior to discovering welding, Troy has worked in various workforce fields such as manufacturing, construction, automotive service, and as part of a management training program in Philadelphia, PA for Waste Management, Inc.

Troy has an Associate Degree in Welding Technology from ACC, and a Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Education from Texas State. He is currently pursuing a MBA from Lamar University in Construction Project Management.

Please note this meeting will be held at the Hampton Library.