Ph.D. University of British Columbia, School of Community and Regional Planning, Planning, 2011
M.A. University of Victoria, Faculty of Human and Social Development, Studies in Policy and Practice, 2002
B.A. University of Victoria, Psychology, 1986

• Gender, family, culture and lone parenting
• Capabilities approaches to family poverty
• Access to services for rural families with young children
• Collaborative multi-disciplinary community service models
• Qualitative and applied research approaches

HDFS 4670 Parenting Education
HDFS 4980 Extension Publication Lab
HDFS 3980 Extension Programs Service Learning
HDFS 8090 Qualitative Methods in the Social Sciences
HDFS 8990 Research and Dissertation
HDFS 7990 Research and Thesis

2014-16   Mitacs Elevate Postdoctoral Fellowship, $115,000 over 2 years
2011-13   Postdoctoral Fellowship, Social Science and Humanities Research Council, $80,000 over 2 years
2009-10   Graduate Student Initiative Award, College for Interdisciplinary Studies, UBC, $2,350
2007-10   Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Strategic Training Fellowship, Public Health and Agriculture
        Rural Ecosystem(PHARE) $83,000 over 3 years
2006     Thesis Grant, Human Early Learning Partnership, $5,000

Current – Just in Time Parenting newsletter (jitp.info) – investigation of parents on-line information-seeking behavior. With Dr. Yae-Bin Kim, U. Nevada-Reno Extension and Dr. Anne Clarkson, U. Wisconsin Extension.

Current – Starting Physical Health Intervention Really Early (SaPHIRE). Auburn University, Internal Seed Grant. Principal Investigator with Dr. Angela Wiley (HDFS) and Dr. Roger Figuero (Cornell University).

Current – Fostering Social Emotional Competence through Tuning into Kids Parenting Education Program. Sponsored by the Alabama Department for Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention. Principal Investigator.

2018-2020 - Social Indicators for Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention. Sponsored by the Alabama Department for Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention. Principal Investigator. socialindicators.weebly.com/projects.html

2018-2021 - Responsible Research and Innovation Networked Globally (RRING) www.rring.eu EU Horizon 2020: Society with and for Society (SwafS14 – A Linked-up Global World of Responsible Research Innovation). Advisory role.

2018-2019 - Uncovering Promising Rural Practices for Early Childhood Educators Who Work with Families with Children with Developmental Delay and Disabilities. Collaborator, with Dr. Mari Pighini (University of British Columbia).

Hudson-Breen, R., & Vilches, S. L. (2018, pending). Doing all that matters: A relational career psychology perspective on mother-entrepreneurship career success. In M. Knight & T. Esnard (Eds.), The Motherhood-Entrepreneurship Nexus: Explorations of Experiences, Identities and Practices of Mothers as Entrepreneurs: Demeter. demeterpress.org

Vilches, S., Pighini, M., Stewart, M., & Goelman, H. (2017). Documenting the urbanistic policy bias in rural early childhood services: Toward a functional definition of rurality, Canadian Geographer, 61(3) 375-388. * “Editor’s Pick” Human Early Learning Partnership, UBC, August 2017.

Gentles, S. J. & Vilches, S. (2017). Calling for a shared understanding of sampling terminology in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), e-pub Aug. 18, 2017. DOI: 10.1177/1609406917725678

Vilches, S., & Tate, L. E. (2016). Grants as significant objects in community engagement networks: Kelowna, British Columbia. In Y. Rydin & L. E. Tate (Eds.), Materiality and Planning: Exploring the Influence of Actor Network Theory. Routledge.

Vilches, S. & Gurstein, P. (2016). Re-conceptualizing social planning: A case study of the spatialized impacts of urban poverty for lone parent, female headed families in Vancouver, BC. In Ren Thomas (Ed.) Planning Canada: A Case Study Approach. (Ashgate) Oxford University Press. * Book award: “Planning Excellence Merit, 2017” by the Canadian Institute of Planners. www.oupcanada.com/catalog/9780199008070.html