She serves as a Trustee of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center and Program Director of Tucson Meet Yourself and is Co-Founder and Co-Director of the culinary conservation alliance Sabores Sin Fronteras (Flavors without Borders). As a Fulbright Scholar, she spent a year researching regional cooking and agriculture in Sonora, Mexico. Dr. Alvarez has produced essays, books and monographs on topics ranging from folklore to pedagogy and is an advocate for social engagement and community arts initiatives.