FSOS associate professor’s paper wins multiple awards
Virginia Solis Zuiker, associate professor and AFC supervising faculty in Family Social Science, is a co-author of a paper that has been named ”Best Paper in Personal Finance and Consumer Economics” for the Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal (FCSRJ) for 2022. It was also selected as the FCSRJ “2022 Outstanding Paper.”
The article, “Lived experiences with payday loans: African American single mothers and employees,” was published in the June 2022 issue of FCSRJ. Zuiker wrote the article with Lane Riley and Leslie E. Green.
Virginia Solis Zuiker joined the FSOS faculty in 1996, and her research agenda examines family financial issues, including young adults’ financial acumen and racial/ethnic differences, and the differences between the entrepreneurial experience for Mexican immigrant and US-born Mexican entrepreneurs. Her work has expanded knowledge into the unique challenges facing diverse populations. Zuiker also led the initiative to FSOS’ undergraduate major earning accreditation by the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education. Students in the bachelor’s program or earning an FSOS minor in family financial studies can take the exam (at a reduced rate) to become an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC).
More about the award
FCSRJ has selected a Best Paper for each of the subdivision content areas since 2009. The Best Papers are chosen from articles published in FCSRJ during the past year, and the criteria for choosing the winner includes the originality of the topic, the research design and methodology, and the potential to make a lasting contribution to family and consumer sciences. One “Outstanding Paper” is chosen each year from the winners of the “Best Paper” awards. The journal is a publication of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS), which is the only professional association dedicated to enhancing Family & Consumer Sciences professionals’ ability to fulfill the mission of the profession and society. AAFCS members work to empower individuals, strengthen families, and enable communities.