Sciencenter director Michelle Kortenaar to retire

Sciencenter Executive Director Michelle Kortenaar will retire at the end of February 2027, according to The Ithaca Voice. Kortenaar joined the Ithaca museum in 2010 and has helped shape its hands-on approach to science education. Her work includes strengthening a Head Start partnership that provides teacher training and free family science nights. She also helped develop Future Science Leaders, which gives middle school students experience assisting younger visitors and testing exhibits. The Sciencenter is beginning a national search for her successor while she continues overseeing museum operations and infrastructure improvements. Get the latest local headlines every morning at 6 a.m. Sign up for our Get Local newsletter . Want to see more FingerLakes1.com stories in Google? Add FingerLakes1.com to your preferred news sources to help Google prioritize our reporting in your results. FingerLakes1.com is the region's leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.