In NY, space to spark curiosity aboard the ‘USS Intrepid’
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum president Susan Marenoff-Zausner sees the WW II aircraft carrier and exhibits as a launching pad for future generations
Reporter at The Times of Israel
NEW YORK – That the NASA space shuttle Enterprise sits on the flight deck of the storied aircraft carrier the USS Intrepid at New York City’s Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is no small point of pride for its president Susan Marenoff-Zausner.
Of course there was a certain satisfaction in beating out 28 other institutions to be the new home for NASA’s first space shuttle. But to understand the real reason for her pride is to comprehend just how perfectly the shuttle symbolizes the mission she has set forth for the museum — to use history as a platform to propel future generations forward.
Marenoff-Zausner wants students to be bold, innovative and daring, just like the Enterprise and the Intrepid — and those who served on them.
“We are privileged to have all of this cool stuff [at the museum] to excite our children about learning. This ‘stuff’ helps to teach them about the past and connect them to the present and the future,” said Marenoff-Zausner, the first woman and non-military person to helm the non-profit cultural and educational institution since it opened in 1982 at Pier 86 on the Hudson River in Manhattan’s West side.
Marenoff-Zausner grew up in a Conservative synagogue in Rockland County, New York.
“I grew up respecting what people have done that is greater than themselves. My father taught us to respect all people equally, no matter what they did. You don’t need to put a name or a title on someone to respect them,” said Marenoff-Zausner.
That sense of respect is apparent in the Intrepid’s 180 programs designed to ensure no visitor is left behind. Not only do they focus on the museum’s collections but explore topics in history, science and technology.
Currently, there are programs aimed at returning veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Just last month, the museum hosted its first intergenerational Military Family Program around the theme of “Celebrations” and it recently held two programs with the Bronx VA, where it hosted groups of Veterans with PTSD for special tours.
There are also programs for children with developmental or learning disabilities, and a host of activities for the sight or hearing impaired.
Keenly aware of the attachment those who served on the USS Intrepid feel about the carrier, Marenoff-Zausner continuously thinks of ways to honor and include those veterans.
“I recognize how important this particular place is, how important these steel walls are for the men who served,” she said.
For example, during the two years the Intrepid closed for renovations, Marenoff-Zausner took copies of the remodeling plan to Washington, DC to show veterans. She knew they missed their ship, and understood some were anxious about the changes being made.
When the ship marked the 70th Former Member Crew Reunion in 2013, Marenoff-Zausner had pieces of the original wooden flight deck sanded, polished and fitted with plaques. Children presented the pieces to the 12 crewmembers that were aboard the carrier on its first day of its commission on August 16, 1943.
‘We impact a lot of people every day’
“My soft spot is the elderly and kids,” Marenoff-Zausner said. “I do get very emotional about this place. We impact a lot of people every day.”
Before she came to the Intrepid in 2003 Marenoff-Zausner, 50, was general manager of the NY Power of the Women’s United Soccer Association. Then the league folded and she lost her job. Soon after a headhunter asked her to interview for the position of chief marketing officer at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. She became executive director in 2005 and then president in 2011.
As Marenoff-Zausner sees it the museum’s largest asset – aside from its 28 restored aircraft, the Enterprise and numerous exhibits – lies in its ability to foster an interest in STEM, or science, technology, engineering and math.
The fastest growing sector in the economy, STEM-related jobs are forecast to grow by 17 percent between now and 2018, according to the US Department of Labor. That’s compared with 9.8% growth for non-STEM occupations. However, the US lags behind other nations in cultivating qualified students to fill those positions, she said.
To that end Marenoff-Zausner and her team run 800 educational programs. Many, such as LIFT (Leadership Institute for Today and Tomorrow) and GOALS (Greater Opportunities Advancing Leadership in Science) are specifically geared for underserved children. The former is for eleventh graders; the latter is a six-week program where leaders in STEM fields mentor girls.
“Girls drop out of engineering after one year, not because they’re not good at it, but because they’re afraid they won’t succeed,” she said. “If we can change that, if we can show girls that they can succeed, they will stay with it.”
One program that sparked students’ interest was the Intrepid International Space Station Challenge, I2S2C, a joint partnership between the Intrepid Museum, the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program and the Ramon Foundation.
Last spring, 200 middle school students from five New York City public schools competed to get their experiment flown to the International Space Station. The winning team was comprised of five sixth grade students from PS/IS 30 Mary White Ovington in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Their experiment explored how microgravity affects the germination of pot mum seeds.
The I2S2C challenge grew from the rapport between Marenoff-Zausner and Rona Ramon, the widow of Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut who died in the 2003 Colombia accident. Their first-born son Asaf, an F-16 fighter pilot with the Israeli Air Force, was killed in a 2009 training mission. Ramon founded the Ramon Foundation to honor their legacies.
Getting young students to stay engaged with science can be challenging, said Michael Massimino, a former NASA astronaut and a senior advisor for space programs at the Intrepid Museum.
“Kids get distracted and sometimes math and science is seen as being a hard thing to do,” Massimino said. “You have to show that science can be fun and exciting. And remind kids they got interested in science and engineering for a reason.”
A visit to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum may be just the place to spark their interest.
