The last seven days have become the worst week in the successful earlier career of the famous US astronomer Geoff Marcy, a man who predicted the Nobel Prize for the discovery of a large number of exoplanets.
As a result of the scandal that ignited the pages of leading American newspapers, not just a scientist, but he was forced to leave the University of California at Berkeley.
It all began on October 9 when the portal Buzzfeed published the results of an internal investigation of misconduct University professor regarding their students and graduate students.
The investigation concerned the cases of sexual harassment of four female students, which took place in 2001-2010. It was invalid in terms of the rules of the University of contacts with students:
Professor often taken against the will of the students to do them a massage, kissed and fingered young priestess of the Muses Urania (Urania – the muse of astronomy . – “Times”).
The University did not apply to Marcy no penalties, warning about the possible consequences in the future. When I heard about it, some colleague Marcy became too declare his misconduct, requiring a more severe punishment. Some clearly stated that a prominent astrophysics are not welcome at the forthcoming conference on extrasolar planets.
«Geoff Marcy, undoubtedly the most prominent researcher of exoplanets in the United States. The stakes are the highest. We make every effort to achieve gender equality in this area, and when the most prominent scientist turns ordinary pristavaloy, it threatens important national tasks, “- said David Charbonneau, professor of astronomy at Harvard University. According to the scientist, he personally called Marcy to get out of the organizing committee of the forthcoming conference.
«After all attempts to break through the necessary channels University achieved nothing. I have seen cases of sexual harassment in the workplace, when a man slapping someone on the wrist. But this is not the case, “- said Joan Schmelz, who until recently headed the committee of the American Astronomical Society for Women in Astronomy.
Journalists BuzzFeed talked to three of the four complainant. One of them described the incident that occurred at a dinner after the seminar at the University of Hawaii when she was a graduate student. According to her, in a moment Marcy put his hand on her leg, then spent the thigh and crotch. Then she did not complain, and did so eight years later, having gone from astronomy, partly because of the harassment, which has undergone, she and other women.
«When you’re a student and you see that every complaint is ignored and every Professor, the man gets away with it, you really do not want to continue, “- she said on condition of anonymity.
In his testimony Marcy called the words of this witness” absolute lies ” He is saying that “never touched the knees strange women.”
As a former student told Marcy, now a Harvard professor John Escher Johnson, once he saw Marcy laboratory massaged the girl’s back under the shirt. “What is infuriating is the fact that each of my generation in the study of extrasolar planets know that Jeff did it. And everyone is afraid to say something, but everybody knows “- he said.
According to Jessica Kirkpatrick, Marcy made “inappropriate touching” one student at the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society in 2010 (one of the most important astronomical conference in the world). Then, many have noticed that at nightfall Mars becomes “more urgent».
«This is possible. If it was, it was a friendly touch. But I would never do that anymore, “- Marcy agreed with the prosecution.
«He has a great history of misconduct, especially with students. Women are discouraged other women work under his leadership, “- said Kirkpatrick, at the time who studied a master’s degree in astronomy at Berkeley.
Marcy received recognition and numerous awards, his team discovered and described more than exoplanets than other scientists , including 70 of the first one hundred open. He also belongs to the discovery of the first extrasolar planets at the sun-like star, Marcy enters the team of scientists space observatory Kepler, has opened more than 4,000 exoplanets.
Colleagues called him charismatic, sympathetic and even “aggressive empathic “. New York Times calls him “a seeker of new worlds», Atlantic – courageous thinker, Wired – a real entertainer.
«Times” twice mentioned a scientist when he admired his colleague , discovered the first exoplanet, Michel Mayor, a possible candidate for the Nobel Prize, and in connection with his participation in the project Breakthrough Listen Russian businessman Yuri Milner to search for extraterrestrial life.
It is participation in this project worth $ 100 million, according to an authoritative astronomical magazine Sky and Telescope, scientists have linked many omissions in the University of Berkeley in respect of Marcy. By the way, on the eve of Marcy came out of the project management.
«While I do not agree with every accusation made, it is obvious that my behavior was unwelcome for some women. It’s hard to describe how it hurts me to realize that I was the cause of the suffering of my fellow women, even if not intentionally, “- wrote the astronomer to page faculty.
After a few days, more than 20 Professors Berkeley signed a an open letter with a demand to dismiss Marcy of the University,
and before it became known that the astronomer leaves itself.
«This morning, Professor Geoff Marcy left Berkeley. We believe that this decision is correct, and immediately accepted his resignation, “- said the rector Nicholas Dirks.
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