Chávez is currently Bobby and Sherri Patton Professor and Chair of the Department of Mexican American and Latino Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.
For four years in Madison, she hosted a radio show on 89.9 FM WORT called "A Public Affair.
"[3] She is also a member of the radical queer collective Against Equality, with Yasmin Nair and Ryan Conrad.
[4] Chávez's work focuses primarily on social movement building, activist rhetoric, and coalitional politics.
Chávez has received multiple awards and honors, including Book of the Year in 2014 from the GLBT Studies Division of the National Communication Association (NCA) and NCA's 2022 Diamond Anniversary Book Award.