Dr. Melissa Chavez is the Associate Vice President of The University of Texas at Austin in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. She has over 25 years of experience in K-12 education and higher education.
She leads the University of Texas Charter School System. This is a university sponsored public charter school committed to delivering the most diverse and rigorous learning opportunities for children in pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade across the state of Texas. The University of Texas–University Charter School specializes in serving special-needs students in unique settings such as psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment centers.
The University of Texas Elementary School, an open enrollment charter serving 304 students in pre-kindergarten through the fifth grade. The community includes not only the teachers and staff but also the East Austin community, partners, donors, volunteers, UT faculty, parents and students. The mission is to serve the families of East Austin with the best research-based curricula and instruction while maintaining a caring and welcoming environment, serving as a research site and training site for educators, and reaching out to our community partners, and the nation to share best practices that move education forward.