UMSS20 Student Profile: Olivia Reese

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

Olivia Reese, Media Studies
How 280 character changed the world: Crime, Twitter, and New Perception
Mentored by Judith Rosenbaum-Andre

Olivia Reese is studying the impacts that Twitter has on college students’ perceptions of crime and news. This idea came about from when researchers in the 1960’s looked at the ways in which television affected people’s views of the world around them.

“I think moving this theory further forward into the modern age will help us understand the world of social media, as it helped researchers back in the 60’s understand the impact media have on the world,” says Reese.

“It’s important that we continue to question how social media is influencing us in ways we might not be aware of. If we can understand how we are influenced or the impact it leaves, we may be able to better ourselves and not only understand the consequences, but utilize social media better as users and consumers.”