College of Education and Human Development

Family Social Science

Virginia Solis Zuiker

  • Pronouns: she/her/ella

  • Associate Professor, AFC Supervising Faculty, and Department Honors Faculty Representative

A professor.

Areas of interest

Family Financial Issues and Counseling
College Students and Money Management
Families and Culture
Social and Human Capital
Economic Well-being of the Family
Latino/a families
Family Businesses
Family Resource Management

Degrees

Ph.D., Family Resource Management and Family & Consumer Economics, The Ohio State University
M.S., Consumer Studies and Management, Texas Tech University
B.S., Home Economics Education, University of North Texas

Biography

Economic Well-Being of Diverse Families in the United States:  This research agenda is designed to understand the economic well-being of diverse families residing in the U.S. and in Minnesota by examining economic and management issues that affect individuals and families.

Exploring College Students' Journey with their Finances: This research agenda examines financial issues experienced by college students and compare the experiences of first-generation college students and non-first-generation college students.

Family Businesses and the Self-Employed (housed at Montana State University): This multi-state research project examines the self-employed versus wage and salary earners, family business owners, and financial management issues that affect individual and family economic well-being. 

Financial Delivery Methods: The purpose of this research project is to examine the variety of delivery methods used by financial professionals to provide financial education and descriptions of how they define their position/role to maximize successful outcomes with the audiences they serve.

Learning from Experts: Having a Dialogue with Financial Counselors/Coaches of Color about their Best PracticesThis research agenda is designed to understand the needs of professionals of color who work in financial wellness programs with clients of color to achieve goals of financial stability and sustainable homeownership.

Outreach & Engagement

Professor to take research project on the road, CEHD news blog

Credit reports, online curriculum module, Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, School of Social Work, University of Minnesota. 

Case worker responsibility & credit reports for youth in foster care, online curriculum module, Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, School of Social Work, University of Minnesota.

Publications

Rea, J.K., Zuiker, V.S., & Mendenhall, T. (2016). Money and emerging adults: A glimpse into the lives of college couples’ financial management practices. Journal of Financial Therapy. 7(2), 16-40. doi.10.4148/1944-9771.1110

Heuring, S.H., Solheim, C.A., Zuiker, V.S., & Ballard, J. (2016).  The link between childhood overindulgence and adult financial behaviors. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning. 27(1), 80-91. doi.10.1891/1052-3073.27.1.80

Kramer, K.Z., Myhra, L.L., Zuiker, V.S., & Bauer, J.W. (2016). Comparison of poverty and income disparity of single mothers and fathers across three decades: 1990 - 2010. Gender Issues. 33(1). 22-41. doi: 10.1007/s12147-015-9144-3.

Solheim, C.A., Rojas-Garcia, G., Olson, P.D., & Zuiker, V.S. (2012, April). Family influences on goals, remittance use, and settlement of Mexican immigrant agricultural workers in Minnesota. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 43(2), 237-259.

Solheim, C.A., Zuiker V.S., & Sheldeshova, P. (2011).  Financial socialization family pathways: Reflections from college students’ narratives. Family Science Review, 16(2),97-112.

Hendrickson, L., Jokela, R., Gilman, J., Croymans, S., Marczak, M., Zuiker, V.S., & Olson, P. (2010). The viability of podcasts in extension education: Financial education for college studentsJournal of Extension,  [On-line,]48

Presentations

Li, Y., Zuiker, V.S., Mendenhall, T., & Montalto, C. (2017, November). Asian college students: Examining their differences on financial matters. In V. J. Anderson & D.E. Kiss, Proceedings of the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education, San Diego, CA, p.4.

Lee, Y., Jasper, C., Masuo, D., & Zuiker, V. (2017). Financial intermingling and predicting business sustainability after a natural disaster. In S.L. Worthy, The Proceedings of the American Council on Consumer Interests, 63.

Niehm, L., Lee, Y., Zuiker, V.S., Manikowsi, L., Mauso, D., & Shin, E. (2017). Rural Family Owned Business Sustainability in Times of Economic Change:  Strategic and Entrepreneurial Responses to the 2007-2009 Recession. United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE).

Li, Y., & Zuiker, V.S. (2016, November). The influence of financial stress between Asian American college students and International Asian college students. In V. J. Anderson & D.E. Kiss, Proceedings of the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education, Louisville, KY, p.107.

Kramer, K. Z., Olsen, L., Zuiker, V. S., and Bauer, J. (2015, August). Comparison of poverty and income disparity of single mothers and single fathers across three decades: 1990 to 2010. Presented at the American Sociological Association Meeting, Chicago, IL.

Katras, M.J., Zuiker, V.S., Croymans, S., Anderson-Porisch, S., & Hawkins, B. (2014). What's in a name? Exploring and defining financial delivery methods. In V.J. Mason, Proceedings of the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education, 27.

Hawkins, B. & Zuiker, V. S. (2013, September/October). Lessons from financial counselors working with cultural minority families. Paper presented at the Financial Therapy Association Conference in Lubbock, Texas.

Heuring, S.M., Solheim, C.A., & Zuiker, V.S. (2012).  Overindulgence: Financial implications for young adults. In V.J. Mason, Proceedings of the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education, 27.

Zuiker, V. S. & Hawkins, B. (2012, September). Motivational interviewing techniques: Barriers in financial counseling situations. Paper presented at the Financial Therapy Association Conference in Columbia, Missouri.

Gudmunson, C. G., & Zuiker, V. S. (2012). A life course investigation of economic pressure in emerging adulthood. In Memphis, TN, Proceedings of the American Council on Consumer Interests, 58.

News & Stories

"FSoS associate professor's paper wins multiple awards," FSoS News

"How you can use Halloween candy to teach your kids about personal finance," WalletHub.com

"6 Best Credit Cards for Students," WalletHub.com

"How to celebrate Thanksgiving on a budget," Wallethub.com

Interview in Financial Therapy Association's Journal of Financial Therapy (PDF).

Teaching and Learning

FSoS 1301: Cash or Credit: You Need to Know

FSoS 3101: Personal and Family Finance

FSoS 4106: Family Resource Management

FSoS 4153: Family Financial Counseling

Honors and Awards

“2022 Outstanding Paper,” Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal (FCSRJ) 

2022  “Best Paper in Personal Finance and Consumer Economics,” Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal (FCSRJ) 

2011-2013   Elected to the Board of Directors for the Association of Financial Counseling, Planning, and Education (AFCPE).

2010 Tom H. Swain Campus Recognition Award

2010 Financial Literacy of College Students: Understanding Student Interests in Technology. Minnesota Association of Extension Educators Scholarship Award, Given for exemplar statewide programming with a team approach.

2006 Invited panelist at the 2003 & 2005 National Minority Business Owners Surveys (2003 & 2005 NMBOS) conference at Baruch College in New York. This event was hosted by the College’s Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship with supporting funds from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

2006 One of twenty scholars invited to participate in the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Research Conference on Entrepreneurship Among Minorities and Women funded by the E. M. Kauffman Foundation, June 2006.

2005 One of twenty scholars invited to participate in the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Entrepreneurship Boot Camp funded by the E. M. Kauffman Foundation, July 2005.

2000 New Career Excellence Award, College of Human Ecology.