Kimberly Gladney
McNair Scholar 2022
Kimberly Gladney is a communication disorders major in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at West Texas A&M University. She is a senior anticipating graduation in Spring 2023. After attaining a bachelor’s degree, Kimberly intends to pursue a Doctorate of Audiology, which is a four-year program, and work in the United States Air Force as a military audiologist.
“My favorite part of the McNair Program was being around other high-achieving students who are all different but deal with the same things I do (i.e. imposter syndrome, boundaries with family, etc.) and being able support one another. The McNair bond is one that few will ever get to experience and something that I believe is truly special." - Kimberly Gladney
"Effects of Face Masks on Speech and Language Understanding"
Faculty Mentor:Dr. Brenda Cross and Dr. Traci Fredman
The use of face masks due to COVID-19 has impacted the way listeners and speakers understand one another. This study investigated the effect different types of face masks have on a listener's understanding of speech. A surgical mask and a clear mask were used. The results showed that listeners understood speech just as well when the speaker wore a clear mask as they did when the speaker was not wearing a mask. The outcomes of this study will be useful in future studies and help bring awareness to the effects face masks can have between communication partners and how they can be remedied.