Alley, College of Engineering Alumnus, Achieved Many Firsts

Russell Cothren

Troy Alley

On the last day of Black History Month, the College of Engineering recognizes the contributions of Troy C. Alley Jr., president of real estate and capital assets for Con-Real LP, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1969.

During his time as a University of Arkansas student, Alley achieved many firsts, including being a part of the first class of Black students to live in U of A dormitories. Some other notable firsts for Alley include: 

• First Black student to be admitted into the Engineering Honor Society
• First Black student to receive a National Science Foundation student grant
• First Black student to graduate in electrical engineering with a minor in aeronautical engineering 
• First Black professional on the College of Engineering Dean's Advisory Board.

One of his many contributions to the College of Engineering includes founding the Engineering Career Awareness Program, a recruitment and retention program for underrepresented engineering students.

"We are all grateful to Troy, whose determination and perseverance helped inspire and chart a path for minority engineering students who have gone on to make incredible contributions to our society as engineers and leaders," said Kim Needy, dean of the College of Engineering. "He was instrumental in developing the Engineering Career Awareness Program (ECAP). ECAP is a program that helps us serve and nurture minority students in their academic pursuits. We could not be more proud to call him one of our own."  

Excerpts from his biography:

As chief operating officer and president of real estate and capital assets of Con-Real LP, Alley oversees all real estate activities. Since 1979, he has developed the real estate division of the company. Under his direction, Con-Real was the first African American owned firm to perform major leasing and management services for Prudential Realty and Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company in the southwest United States.  The firm has been nationally recognized in market/feasibility studies and other real estate consultant services. 

Alley serves as chairman of the Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center and previously served as the vice chairman of the Texas Real Estate Commission. Having received the Member Appraisal Institute designation, he is highly recognized as a real estate professional with over 30 years of diversified real estate experience involving real estate evaluations and feasibility studies. 

Born to a family of trailblazers, he is the first African American to become a member of the commercial division of the Dallas Board of Realtors; a certified property manager; and member of the Appraisal Institute in North Texas. In addition, he was inducted as the first African American in the Arkansas Engineering Hall of Fame. 

Alley shares his passion for education through service and giving back. He is an approved instructor for the Appraisal Institute. He also served on the University of Arkansas Engineering Advisors Board and was instrumental in developing the Engineering Career Awareness Program, which targets minority and African American students from underrepresented areas of the state of Arkansas and other areas in an effort to assist them in their entrance and graduation in the field of engineering. His focus with this successful program is to increase and support the number of engineering, science and math (STEM) students in Arkansas. The Alley Scholars is another medium through which he brings together business professionals from all disciplines to partner in developing young professionals for the future.

In addition to his electrical engineering degree, Alley holds an M.B.A. in finance and real estate from Southern Methodist University. In addition, he has completed advanced coursework in real estate development at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.