Marchant Glacier in Antarctica, originally named for Boston University Earth and environment professor David Marchant, has been renamed in wake of findings that Marchant sexually harassed students.
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) made the change, giving the glacier the name of Matataua Glacier.
The decision was made to change the glacier’s name after the board received a proposal outlining Marchant’s violations of Title IX and suggesting the name of Matataua instead, said BGN Executive Secretary for Domestic Names Lou Yost.
The National Science Foundation is a lead agency for the U.S. Antarctic Program. While the U.S. Geological Survey oversees name changes for geographic features, NSF Office of Polar Programs Director Kelly Falkner said in a statement that the NSF approves of the name change.
“NSF, as lead agency for the United States Antarctic Program, views this name change as appropriate,” Falkner said, “given that Boston University determined David Marchant violated Title IX regulations and USGS policy says geographic features are to be named for people who have made extraordinary or outstanding contributions to the advancement of polar science.”
Falkner said in the statement that Marchant’s behavior was unacceptable and that it hindered scientific progress.
“Boston University found Marchant created an environment that was hostile and harmful to fellow researchers, particularly women,” Falkner said.
Matataua means “a scout before the warriors,” Yost said, and is an associative name from a summit at the mouth of the glacier named Mata Taua Peak.
Geographic name changes do not happen very often in Antarctica, Yost said, however, in the United States, BGN processes close to 75 name changes a year.
Jen Racoosin and Samantha Day contributed to the reporting of this article.
