Women in Antarctica: Confronting Predators While Pursuing Science

A Nightmare in the ​Shadows of Antarctica’s Glaciers

The Troubling Beginning

Jane Willenbring, a 22-year-old Stanford geologist, arrived in Boston in August 1999 to‌ begin her ‌master’s in earth science at Boston​ University. As an undergrad, she had ‌studied beetle fossils found in conditions similar to those anticipated in the future, believing‌ this research ​to be crucial for understanding global climate change.

Willenbring had come to⁢ study under ⁢the renowned geologist David Marchant, a 37-year-old professor at BU known for his groundbreaking work in Antarctica. Marchant had insisted on picking her up at the airport, ⁣an offer ⁢she found both nice and strange. ​During the ride, he ⁣made​ her feel guilty for his gesture, complained about missing a Red Sox game, and ‍asked personal questions about her relationship status and whether ​she knew anyone in Boston. In a few months, she would be joining him on a⁢ research trip to Antarctica,⁢ where he had‍ a glacier named after ‍him. “It‌ was⁢ almost like a pickup line,” Willenbring recalls,⁢ “‘I have a glacier.'”

Exposing the ⁢Horrors at the Bottom of the World

It ⁣was ​what ⁣happened⁢ in the glacier’s shadow ⁤that led Willenbring to take on Marchant and become the first to expose the horrors faced by women in Antarctica. A 2022 report by the ‍National Science Foundation found that 59 percent of women at US‍ Antarctic Program field⁣ stations had experienced‌ sexual harassment or assault. One woman alleged that a supervisor had slammed⁢ her ‍head into a metal​ cabinet and⁣ then sexually assaulted ⁣her. Britt Barquist, a former‍ fuel foreman at McMurdo, says she was forced to work alongside a supervisor who had sexually harassed ‍her, and nobody cared when she expressed her fear of him.

With a congressional investigation ​underway, Willenbring is ​sharing her full story to inspire ⁤others to come forward and claim the justice they deserve. She questions how and why the nightmare happened in the first⁣ place, noting that women in science rarely discuss such‌ experiences because they’re “smart enough to fucking run.”

Unexpected Challenges in Antarctica

In November 1999, Willenbring ‍flew‍ to Antarctica with Marchant and another grad student, Adam Lewis, ⁣to collect ⁣samples⁣ for their research on⁤ glacial erosion and future ‌climate change. She quickly noticed unexpected challenges, such as the lack of a private toilet on the plane and ‌Marchant’s ⁢refusal to ⁤order her a “pee funnel”⁣ because he thought it ⁣was “gross having ‌women stand up while they pee.”

Upon arriving at McMurdo Station, Willenbring had to complete survival camp before heading into the field. To her surprise, Marchant⁤ had brought⁣ along​ his older brother, Jeffrey, who wasn’t a scientist but a research assistant professor at Tufts University’s medical school. Marchant laughed ⁤when Willenbring questioned ⁤this decision and told her to call his brother by his⁢ field nickname: Ken Tonka, a‌ reference to his penis being “like a Tonka truck.”

Bullying and Harassment in the Field

The group, consisting of the⁢ Marchant brothers,⁢ Willenbring, and Lewis,⁤ took a helicopter to the desolate Dry Valleys‍ region for their research. Marchant, who asked to be​ called “Shack” after Ernest Shackleton, seemed to have no patience for⁤ anyone slowing him⁣ down, especially women. Lewis told Willenbring that on a previous expedition, ​Marchant had bullied a high school teacher, Hillary Tulley, who had‍ joined them to participate ⁤in their work. Tulley confirms that‍ “it was a big​ clusterfuck from the jump ⁣… It was all just not good.”

Willenbring faced her own ⁣troubles when Marchant brought three tents for the four of ​them and said she would be sharing‌ with his brother. When she questioned this arrangement, Marchant suggestively told her, “Because Jeff likes you.”

“You never hear a women-in-science panel where people are talking about stuff like I do,” she says,⁤ “because they’re smart enough to ​fucking run.”

A Harrowing ​Tale of‍ Harassment in Antarctica

The Nightmare Begins

As Jane Willenbring and her colleagues toiled away in the harsh Antarctic landscape,⁢ collecting volcanic⁣ ash and glacial sediment samples,​ her advisor, David ⁤Marchant, engaged‌ in increasingly disturbing behavior. He spoke inappropriately about his brother Jeffrey, asking Willenbring if she had seen Jeffrey’s penis. Willenbring had, in fact, witnessed Jeffrey standing in their shared tent with an‌ erection while urinating into a bottle.

Despite her disgust and unease, Willenbring felt powerless to confront Marchant. As a graduate student, she relied on his support and approval to progress in her ​field,‌ from thesis approval to job ​referrals. “He definitely had the power,” she recalls. Willenbring persevered, determined to complete her research.

Personal tents for staff at the Shackleton Glacier⁢ science ⁤camp, ‍situated ​on the Shackleton Glacier in the Transantarctic mountains of Antarctica. (Image: ​Getty Images/Jeff Miller)

Grueling ⁣Hikes and Constant Belittlement

As the days wore on under the relentless polar sun,⁢ Willenbring’s research mission took a sinister turn. Marchant subjected the team to grueling 13-hour hikes while ‍collecting samples, leaving Willenbring worried about encountering ice ​storms or her diabetic colleague, Lewis, suffering from insulin shock due​ to a lack of snacks. (Lewis, however, had packed ample snacks to‌ mitigate this risk.)

Marchant ‌treated the expedition like a boot camp, even forcing the team to do push-ups on​ occasion. When Lewis‍ attempted to speak up about Marchant’s ⁢behavior, he was dismissed with laughter.

Isolation set in for Willenbring, compounded ⁤by the fact⁣ that Marchant maintained sole control⁣ over the radio used for daily check-ins with the McMurdo base. Each morning, he would‌ report,⁣ “Four souls in camp, and all is well,” masking the true nature of​ their situation.

A Groundbreaking ⁤Discovery Met with Derision

Willenbring’s sense of isolation deepened until a serendipitous​ discovery while digging in ⁣the sediment: ​a large piece‍ of granite. This find suggested a new ⁣perspective on the historical record and the timing of ice deposition in the area. However, when she presented her dark, jagged samples to Marchant,⁣ he dismissed her as “a dumb fucking whore.” Willenbring realized that she couldn’t win, no matter what she​ did.

Marchant’s⁤ belittling behavior ‍became a twisted ​game, chastising ‍Willenbring for both carrying and not carrying heavy equipment.⁤ When the stress became‍ too much and⁤ she broke ​down in tears, Marchant would laugh and then become angry at her for crying. “It was just the ultimate fucking with my head,”⁤ she recalls.

Escalating Abuse and a Dangerous Infection

The abuse ⁢escalated‍ as Marchant blew sediment shards into Willenbring’s⁤ eyes and‌ pushed her down a loose gravel hill she was struggling to climb. She resolved to fight back if⁤ necessary, having already informed him of her black ‍belt in tae‍ kwon do. “I don’t know how to put this in a way that doesn’t make me sound totally psycho,”⁣ she ‌admits, “but if⁢ it had gotten super bad, I would’ve just beaten him ​with my hands or by smashing⁣ him in the face with ​a shovel.”

Marchant’s harassment persisted,⁤ pelting Willenbring with rocks whenever he caught ⁤her urinating in the ‍open landscape. To avoid this, she ⁢began drinking less water, ultimately developing a⁤ severe bladder infection that caused her to urinate blood. When⁣ she informed Marchant, he dismissively told her to drink cranberry juice. All the while, he continued to radio back to base each day, assuring them, “Four souls in camp, and all is well.”

The Aftermath and a Difficult Decision

Upon returning to Boston, Willenbring felt pressured to write a tenure recommendation letter for Marchant when asked by a faculty member. She believed she had no choice, ‌as Marchant had ‌made it clear that speaking out about their time in Antarctica would result in her being labeled a liar⁣ and her career being ruined.

Willenbring left Boston University with her ⁣master’s degree and pursued ‌a PhD at Dalhousie University in Halifax,​ Nova Scotia. She later secured a prestigious assistant professor position at the University of Pennsylvania, but the harassment continued.⁤ Male colleagues made degrading comments about her appearance ‍and⁣ body, even during pregnancy.

A pivotal moment came when Willenbring brought her 3-year-old daughter to‌ the lab, and the child expressed a desire to become a scientist like ‍her mother. ‍Overwhelmed with emotion, ​Willenbring burst into tears,​ imagining her daughter enduring the same⁣ hardships she had⁣ faced. That night, she​ decided it was time to speak out and drafted a complaint against David Marchant. However, fear for ⁤her still-insecure academic career caused her to set the draft⁤ aside.

Finding the ‍Courage to Speak Out

Meredith⁤ Nash in Neko Harbour,⁢ in West Antarctica, during her voyage with Homeward Bound. (Image: Sarah Conolly)

In 2016, Willenbring relocated ‍to the‍ Scripps Institution of Oceanography ​at the University of California, San Diego, where she finally obtained tenure. Nearly two decades after her ‍traumatic experience⁣ with Marchant, she still carried the psychological and physical scars, including ongoing bladder problems ‌stemming from the infection she developed in the field. Haunted by shame ​for not speaking out⁤ earlier and fearing that Marchant was continuing to harass students with impunity, Willenbring decided to take action.

In October 2016, she filed a⁣ Title IX complaint against David Marchant.​ When⁤ Boston University officials assured her they would investigate the matter, she felt a glimmer of hope. “I actually thought they would be happy to know about this,” she says,⁢ “because what a horrible liability, having ⁤this ​guy as a professor.”

Two other women joined Willenbring’s ‌complaint: “Deborah Doe,” who​ alleged that ⁣Marchant had called her a “cunt” and a “bitch” and had threatened her PhD funding—she​ had been so traumatized that she

Editor’s ​note: David Marchant did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment.

Uncovering the Dark Side of Antarctica: ⁣Sexual Misconduct and Harassment in the World’s Most Remote Continent

Jane Willenbring’s‍ Harrowing Experience

Jane Willenbring, a geologist who had worked in ⁣Antarctica, faced relentless harassment from her supervisor, David Marchant.⁣ Hillary Tulley, a high school‌ teacher who accompanied them on a trip, recounted Marchant’s behavior:

His taunts, degrading comments about my body, brain, and general​ inadequacies, never ended.

As the Me Too movement gained traction, Willenbring’s story went viral, even being featured on Samantha Bee’s show⁤ Full Frontal. However, this exposure also led to a death threat being left on Willenbring’s office door.

Inadequate Consequences for David Marchant

In‌ November 2017, the⁣ university concluded its investigation, confirming that Marchant had sexually harassed Willenbring and recommending termination proceedings. Despite Willenbring’s ‌efforts, Marchant appealed, and a group of faculty suggested a mere three-year suspension without⁣ pay, after which he ​could return.

The Homeward Bound Scandal

In February 2018, Grist,⁣ an​ environmental⁣ news site, published an account from five women who alleged sexual harassment,‍ coercion,⁢ and bullying on the inaugural Homeward Bound leadership-development voyage ​to Antarctica. One woman claimed to have woken up next to a ⁣naked crew member with no ⁢memory ⁤of the incident.

Meredith Nash, a sociologist from the University of ⁣Tasmania, boarded the ship to study leadership programs for women in science and technology. She discovered shocking incidents, including a ⁣woman crying in a video diary after a crew member tried to enter her‌ room ⁢without permission.

This was a voyage for ‌women to go to ⁣Antarctica and break boundaries, and instead, the few men on board made this experience feel like a microcosm of the real world. I felt unsafe, and what happened to me brought me back to ‌reality.

-‌ Nicole Hellessey, PhD student at the University of Tasmania

Uncovering Widespread ⁣Misconduct

Meredith Nash continued her ​research, surveying more than 150 women scientists about their experiences ‌conducting remote field work in Antarctica. She found that 63% reported being harassed, with incidents ranging from physical assault ​to microaggressions.

In 2020, the Australian Antarctic Division commissioned Nash to lead a ⁢government-funded ​review of diversity, equity, and inclusion in its programs. During her nearly two years working on the⁢ review, she learned about widespread incidents‍ of harassment and⁤ assault,‍ exacerbated by the isolation and male dominance in⁣ the region.

The Firing of David Marchant and the NSF Report

On April 12, 2019, Boston ​University finally fired David Marchant for sexually harassing Willenbring. The National Science Foundation commissioned an outside ⁢study on sexual assault ⁣and harassment⁤ at Antarctic research ⁣facilities, which revealed shocking⁤ allegations of assault,⁢ stalking, and ⁤harassment.

Britt Barquist, a former fuel foreman at ‌ McMurdo Station,⁤ recounted being ⁤groped by a senior employee of Leidos,​ the company managing ‌the research stations, during a staff briefing.

The courage of women like Jane Willenbring and Meredith Nash in speaking out about their experiences has been crucial in exposing the dark reality of sexual misconduct in Antarctica. As more women come forward, it is ‌hoped that meaningful change can be implemented to create a safer and more equitable environment for ‍all those working⁤ in this remote and challenging region.

A Chilling Reality: Sexual Harassment and Assault in Antarctica

The Persistent​ Problem

Antarctica, a continent‍ often associated with pristine beauty and scientific exploration, harbors a dark secret. Despite its remote location and ⁤harsh conditions, sexual harassment ​and assault⁤ have plagued the ⁣research stations and camps scattered across the icy landscape. Women​ working in these isolated environments have faced a ‍pervasive culture of misconduct, often perpetrated by those in positions of power.

Barquist’s Ordeal

Samantha Barquist, a seasoned worker at the McMurdo Station, found herself in a nightmarish‍ situation⁤ when a senior official sexually harassed her. Despite reporting the incident and ‍expressing her fear, ⁤Barquist was met with indifference and obstruction from her⁣ employer. She recounts a particularly distressing conversation with two women from her company’s HR department:

“I said⁤ I still‌ don’t want to be around this ⁤guy,” she tells me, “but they said, ‘So how do you suggest we deal with this?'” Barquist gets emotional as she recalls her conversation with the two women from her employer. “I thought they were going to be on my side,” she says. Instead, they kept pressing her as to how afraid she felt to be around him.

Barquist’s experience highlights the systemic failures‌ in addressing sexual misconduct in Antarctica. Even when victims come forward, ⁣they often ⁤face skepticism, victim-blaming, and a lack‍ of support⁢ from those tasked with protecting them.

Sorensen’s Trauma

Jennifer Sorensen, a food steward and janitor at McMurdo, experienced the devastating impact of sexual assault firsthand. After being raped⁢ by her “ice boyfriend,” Sorensen reported the incident to her employer, GHG. However, instead of receiving support and justice, she was ​met with a dismissive and insulting response:

“It just felt like this bizarre game of telephone, where I was truthful,” she says,⁣ “and then they tried to repeat it back to me like, ‘No, ⁤that’s not it at all.'”

GHG’s handling of Sorensen’s case exemplifies the deep-rooted issues within the Antarctic community. The minimization of sexual assault and the failure to hold perpetrators accountable create a culture of impunity that leaves victims feeling helpless and unheard.

The Need for Change

The⁣ release of reports by the National ⁤Science Foundation (NSF) and the Australian government has shed light on the pervasive problem of sexual harassment and assault​ in Antarctica. While these reports have prompted some initial steps, such as leadership changes and policy ⁢updates, much more needs to be done to create a safe and respectful environment for all individuals working in these remote locations.

Representative Zoe Lofgren, who is part of the⁤ congressional investigation into Leidos and ⁣the NSF, emphasizes the need for swift and decisive action:

“Leidos has maintained a willful ⁤ignorance to the situation on the ice.”

As more countries establish a presence in ‌Antarctica, ‍it is crucial that⁣ they develop comprehensive ⁣guidelines and policies to prevent and address sexual misconduct. ​Without a concerted effort to change the culture⁤ and ⁢hold perpetrators accountable, the cycle of abuse and trauma will‍ continue to plague the continent.

A Call to Action

The stories of Barquist, ⁢Sorensen, ‍and countless other women who have experienced⁣ sexual harassment and assault in Antarctica serve as a powerful ​reminder of the urgent need for change. It is the responsibility of governments, organizations, and individuals to work together to create a safe and inclusive environment for all those who venture to the icy continent in the name of science and exploration.

As Meredith Nash, the author of a groundbreaking study on the issue, poignantly states:

“The⁢ reason why women don’t‍ want to‌ talk,” Nash ⁤says, “is because they’ve been gaslit this whole time, where everyone’s saying, ‘It didn’t happen. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t believe you.'”

It is time for⁣ the world to listen, believe, and⁢ act. Only then can we hope to create ⁢a future where the beauty and wonder of ‍Antarctica are not⁢ marred⁣ by the ugly reality of sexual⁣ misconduct.

Penguins around the tent site. Photograph: Sarah Conolly

Antarctica’s Changing Landscape: Women Scientists ⁣Confront Harassment and Climate Change

New Rules for Homeward Bound⁤ Expedition

The Homeward Bound expedition, which set sail for Antarctica in November 2023, has implemented over 60 new rules to foster a safe and productive environment ‌for the dozens of women on⁢ board. Fabian Dattner, the organizer, explains⁣ that these measures include prohibiting crew members from mingling with scientists, having a psychologist and psychiatrist on board,⁣ and closing the ship’s bar as early as⁣ 9:30 pm.

Harassment Hinders Climate Change Research

The​ harassment of female scientists in Antarctica has far-reaching consequences, hindering the work of dedicated researchers like Willenbring who are striving to better understand climate change.‍ A recent study published in the journal Nature Climate Change reveals an alarming trend:​ some waters around Antarctic glaciers are projected to warm three times faster than in the previous century. This rapid warming will lead to widespread increases in ice-shelf melting, even in regions crucial for ice-sheet stability, potentially contributing‌ to devastating sea ⁣level rise of 1 to 3 ​feet by 2100.

Glacier Renamed ​in the Wake of #MeTooSTEM

In a significant move, ‍the US Board on Geographic Names unanimously voted to ⁣strip David Marchant’s name from his coveted glacier two years after⁤ Willenbring filed her complaint. Willenbring shared the⁤ news on Twitter with the hashtag #MeTooSTEM. The 7-mile-long glacier, which drains the‍ slopes ⁣of the Rampart⁢ Ridge, ⁣is now called Matataua, named after a nearby mountain peak. Rising far beyond McMurdo Station, the renamed glacier serves as a ‍reminder of the men⁢ who claimed the ice‌ and the women who are​ reclaiming it before it disappears.

Let us know what you​ think about ​this article.