UMSS20 Student Profile: Jacob Marchio

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

March 1, 2020 UMSS Student Profiles 2020

Jacob Marchio, Engineering Physics
Design and Construction of a Computer Controlled Astronomical Spectropolarimeter
Mentored by Sam Hess

Jacob Marchio is building an instrument that can gather spectral information as well as polarization in astronomy (which provides information about stars).

Through spectroscopy, things such as temperature and mass can be obtained, whereas measuring the polarization (a preferred direction of electric field oscillation) can yield other astrophysical information, such as information about magnetic fields or a star’s surroundings.

Devices that measure both are not widely available, so Marchio hopes to explore this potential.

“Hopefully this project will encourage astronomy programs (and amateur astronomers) to consider new ways of collecting data, beyond traditional spectroscopy, with very modest equipment and budget,” says Marchio.