Jacee Holton, Leah Kubiak Finish Third at VSU Research Symposium

Jacee Holton and Leah Kubiak earned third place honors at Valdosta State University’s 2025 Graduate Student Research and Scholarship Symposium. Pictured is Holton with Dr. Becky da Cruz, associate provost for graduate studies and research. (Kubiak was not able to attend the awards ceremony.)

VALDOSTA — Jacee Holton and Leah Kubiak earned third place honors at Valdosta State University’s 2025 Graduate Student Research and Scholarship Symposium. It was an opportunity for both students to share their research with a wider audience, sharpen their presentation skills, receive valuable feedback, network with other student researchers, and build their reputations as emerging experts in their field of study.

Holton and Kubiak’s award-winning research — “The Effect of GU Energy on vocal Loudness and Phonation Duration in College-Aged Individuals” — was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Matthew Carter, an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Certificate of Clinical Competence-credentialed speech-language pathologist and professor in VSU’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

According to their research abstract, “The human voice produces a form of communication that expresses a multitude of emotions and intentions. When the human voice is impacted, social and vocational aspects of life can be negatively affected. People with Parkinson’s disease face a high chance of developing voice disorders that can cause their voice to be breathy, harsh, strained, and decreased in volume. The purpose of this research project was to examine if GU Energy had an impact on vocal loudness and duration. Phonation resistance training exercises were administered to four participants over two days, with two participants receiving GU on day one and the other two participants receiving GU on day two. Results of this study demonstrate an increase in duration after receiving GU energy, but there were no significant differences in loudness. Overall, a larger sample size and time frame for future research could provide beneficial information on this study.”

Holton, of Alma, Georgia, anticipates graduating with a Master of Education in Communication Disorders in December. She previously earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in Communication Disorders at VSU in May 2024.  

Kubiak, of Bainbridge, Georgia, anticipates graduating with a Master of Education in Communication Disorders in December. She previously earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in Communication Disorders at VSU in May 2024.

VSU is committed to providing a quality graduate learning environment, enabling advanced studies guided by graduate faculty with a passion for teaching, research, and service. Research is a key component in a large number of the more than 40 face-to-face, hybrid, and online graduate programs offered at the university.