![Melbourne University astrophysicist Dr Katie Mack. Melbourne University astrophysicist Dr Katie Mack.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/86a8c45d-52ba-4071-821c-68f2a5d8e70b.jpg/r0_0_729_407_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
![Dr Katie Mack at Melbourne University, who has raised concerns about sexual harassment in academia. Photo: Joe Armao Dr Katie Mack at Melbourne University, who has raised concerns about sexual harassment in academia. Photo: Joe Armao](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/bb499653-6fcc-47f6-a656-51cea8c637aa.jpg/r0_0_729_410_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
![Dr Katie Mack at Melbourne University, who has raised concerns about sexual harassment in academia. Photo: Joe Armao Dr Katie Mack at Melbourne University, who has raised concerns about sexual harassment in academia. Photo: Joe Armao](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/79600d9d-e45a-4541-ba24-015bdaed4721.jpg/r0_0_359_427_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Sexual harassment in academia is so entrenched that on multiple occasions Melbourne University physicist Katie Mack has warned students to avoid known perpetrators before they attended conferences, applied for graduate positions or visited departments.
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She said the culture was fostered by an environment where a vast power difference existed between established professors and students.
Dr Mack, who has been at Melbourne University for three years, said it was not unusual in academic circles to hear of inappropriate touching, inappropriate comments or females being propositioned. She has also heard secondhand reports of an alleged rape.
While women felt comfortable confiding in each other, she said they rarely made official complaints to their employer or reported it to police.
"It's hard to trust any university to investigate themselves and, from people I talk to, I've heard so many stories of people being told to just put up with it," she said.
Calling on universities to sack any staff member known to be a harasser, she conceded internal investigations were difficult because it was hard for universities to be objective when investigating themselves.
"Universities have to hold themselves to account and they're not doing that," she said.
Dr Mack's comments follow news from the US, where high-profile physicist Geoff Marcy posted a vague apology letter on his faculty page after the scientific community took him to task for sexually harassing women in his department for years.
Dr Mack was critical of UC Berkeley's apparent lack of disciplinary action which, following an internal investigation, amounted to a threat of suspension or dismissal if Professor Marcy's behaviour didn't change.
In a tweet on Tuesday she suggested the $US100 million ($136 million) that UC Berkeley will receive over 10 years to search for extraterrestrial life could be one reason why Professor Marcy wasn't dismissed.
"They have a lot to lose if they have to dismiss their professor," she said.
Dr Mack said this environment made people reluctant to speak out for fear they wouldn't be listened or their complaint properly investigated. Concern that speaking out would make it hard to form collaborative working relationships in academia also persisted.
A respected theoretical astrophysicist who gained her PhD at Princeton University in 2009 and worked at Cambridge University for three years before moving to Melbourne University, Dr Mack said conferences were also "tricky" environments for female physicists.
While meeting colleagues was productive, resulting in valuable networking and collaborations, she often remained on-guard.
"I keep an eye out for myself and I keep an eye out for other women," she said. "If there is somebody that is known to be a problem I stay away from them."
She said she felt a duty of care for her own students and in the past had warned them to steer clear of known offenders at conferences, when visiting university departments or applying for post-graduate places.
"You don't want to badmouth anyone, so it's difficult," she said. "Sometimes you are torn between wanting to protect someone who is vulnerable or risk spreading unconfirmed rumours. But you don't want to be in a position where someone says 'why didn't you warn me'?"
She said conference organisers should have clear harassment policies in place as well as measures to reduce the risk for female attendees.
The American Astronomical Society, which hosts an annual conference that can draw more than 3000 delegates, this year introduced 'astronomy allies' to mingle at events. The allies can walk delegates back to their hotel room, listen to problems or concerns or even help file a complaint.
Physics is a male-dominated field - more than most areas of science. In astronomy Dr Mack said while there had been improvement in the gender balance in the 1980s and 1990s, progress has stalled in recent years.
"The vast majority of academics who reach the level of lecturer and above are white males," she said.
Concerns about a culture fostering sexual harassment in academia follows the explosive revelations by Sydney surgeon Gabrielle McMullin, who went public after three female trainees had asked her advice on how to deal with senior surgeons asking for sexual favours.
Vicki Thomson, chief executive of the Group of Eight representing Australia's eight leading research universities, said the group abhorred and condemned sexual harassment.
"Unfortunately we continue to be informed of its occurrence across society," she said, adding that Go8 universities had "rigorous safeguards" in place because the "Go8 does not tolerate this abuse of power."
Pointing out that Dr Mack's comments were general in nature, a Melbourne University spokesman said sexual harassment was unacceptable at the university and was not tolerated.
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