Latinos and Media Project

BIO

Professor Chávez is the Director of the Oklahoma Institute for Diversity in Journalism at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma. He previously served as chairman of the Department of Contemporary Media and Journalism at the University of South Dakota. “Ray” Chávez was city editor of the El Paso Herald-Post before joining the University of Colorado at Boulder faculty in 1991. His journalism experience spans over 20 years from position like general assignment reporter to city editor. He is a founder of the National Association for Hispanic Journalists. Professor Chávez also has taught full-time at the University of Texas at El Paso and San Josè State University. He is a two-time winner of the National Teaching Award for Excellence from the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. He earned a B.A. in journalism at Texas Tech University and an M.A. in communication from the University of Washington. Professor Chávez has also served Dean of the American Indian Journalism Institute.

His research interests include multicultural diversity and the media, journalism history, Spanish-language media, American Indian press, and international communication.