ABOUT
Hello and thank you for visiting my website! My full name is Dr. Daniel O’Conner Peluso, but most just call me Dan! I am an astronomer, researcher, educator, media creator, and musician and singer-songwriter. This website was created to share my passions, work, and achievements. I live in Vallejo, California.
In May 2024, I joined the LSST Discovery Alliance (LSST-DA) as their Director of Strategic Engagement. As an astronomer and educator with a passion for making science accessible to all, this role is exciting. The LSST, or Legacy Survey of Space & Time, will be conducted at the Rubin Observatory in Chile beginning in 2025. Equipped with the world’s largest digital camera, it will create a decade-long cosmic time-lapse movie, revolutionizing our understanding of the universe. The LSST-DA is a US non-profit aiming to enhance Rubin's LSST impact by engaging a diverse global community of scientists and removing obstacles between the LSST data and the valuable insights it will deliver. Among some of my tasks at LSST-DA, I am improving fundraising capacity, fostering effective collaboration and support for Alliance participants, serving as a media liaison and creating original media (e.g., video), and pursuing my own independent research to support our goal of democratizing science.
Prior to joining LSST-DA, I received my Ph.D. in Astrophysics in March 2024 from the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ). My thesis, titled Democratizing & Enhancing Exoplanet Research with the Unistellar Citizen Science Network & Astronomy Modeling Instruction, highlighted the significant impact of citizen science on exoplanet research and education. This work, conducted with UniSQ, the SETI Institute, and the American Modeling Teachers Association (AMTA), led to several peer-reviewed publications and included contributions from over 200 citizen astronomers, including high school students who were included as co-authors in my paper for the discovery and confirmation of exoplanet TIC 139270665 b (see Research & Publications).
I have also been an educator, leading workshops and courses for high school and college teachers (e.g., see MI Astro), and implemented an astrophysics course at Griffin High School (Vallejo, CA) that was articulated with Napa Valley College (Napa, CA) for dual credit. Additionally, I taught an introductory astronomy course at Napa Valley College (ASTR 110) and was instrumental in the development of the Unistellar College Astronomy Network (UCAN) and Unistellar Education as the Unistellar Education Associate and Assistant Director of UCAN at the SETI Institute.
Before my career in astronomy and education, I worked in the music industry at Warner Music Distribution, Victory Records, Universal Music, Lost Highway, and Island Def Jam Records, as well as performing as a singer-songwriter in various bands and solo projects. As a promotions and artist development professional at major and independent record labels, I successfully developed and implemented regional and national campaigns for artists like Fall Out Boy, Wolfmother, Bayside, Hawthorne Heights, The Bravery, Bon Jovi, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.
While my past work with major music acts was fun, and I find my current education and astronomy research rewarding, I find the most excitement and reward in my work as a singer-songwriter and music producer. My music career began in the late 90s and early 00s when I played in garage bands and also sang backup vocals and played percussion for the Western Pennsylvania touring blues band, Black Cat Otis, while still in middle and high school. After high school, I was accepted into Berklee College of Music to major in Songwriting. Although I eventually pursued a Music Business degree (focused on Songwriting) at a different institution, this detour provided me with valuable experience working in the music industry, including my roles at Warner Music, Universal Music, and Island Def Jam Records. It also led to some unexpected experiences, such as teaching high school science, discovering exoplanets, and earning a Ph.D. in Astrophysics! Despite initial regret over not focusing all my efforts on songwriting, I have recently learned to embrace my diverse journey and now strive for a new goal to blend my passions for music, astronomy, and education, but with songwriting back at the forefront.
With my first solo project as Dan Peluso and Dan Peluso Band, I released my first EP in 2008, which received radio play, press, had my music played in major league baseball stadiums, and even had my self-produced music video for the song, Rabbit Hole, aired on national television on the FUSE TV network. With my indie pop rock group, Falling Andes, I released two EPs, performed with nationally touring artists, achieved national press, and AAA terrestrial radio play. Most recently, with my current music project under the pseudonym Conner Eko, my music has received press, achieved prominent playlisting on Spotify, and has aired on SiriusXM satellite radio. See my Music page to listen, watch, and learn more.
I also have over 15 years of exciting achievements in digital media creation by creating short science documentaries, science education videos, and music videos. My award-winning The Quest for Another Earth (2014) documentary on exoplanets, won the 2016 American Geophysical Union Science Film Award and the 2017 Goldschmidt Wild Orbit Film’s People’s Choice for Best Science Communication. My science education videos are published on the SETI Institute’s YouTube page and website (2020-2022), and I have successfully created music videos for my various musical projects (2008-2022).
My education includes an A.A.S. in Music Business with a focus on Songwriting from McNally Smith College of Music (2005), a B.A. in Media & Professional Communications with Certificate in Digital Media (Film Studies), and a B.S. in Natural Sciences (Planetary Science) from the University of Pittsburgh (2016), an M.Ed. in Science Curriculum & Instruction from the University of San Diego (2017), a California Single-Subject Teaching Credential in Physics and Geosciences (2017), and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Queensland (2024).
With a unique background, I completed an impactful Ph.D. in Astrophysics in only five years elapsed time. I believe that the research I recently completed with UniSQ, the SETI Institute, and AMTA lays the groundwork for a revolution in astronomy that opens many more opportunities for educators, students, citizen scientists, and other non-professionals to access the universe and even contribute to major astronomical research efforts (e.g. with Astronomy Modeling Instruction and digital smart telescopes, such as Unistellar eVscopes).
With the recent completion of my Ph.D., I am excited to refocus my efforts on both my music and astronomy, but with music and songwriting back as my main focus. Thus, as I continue my work in astronomy and astronomy education, I am thrilled to announce that I will be dedicating more time to my music and songwriting under my Conner Eko project. Starting now and through 2025, I will be recording (late-2024) and releasing new music (starting early-2025), including several singles that will form an EP centered around my personal journey and raising awareness for mental health. Looking ahead, I am exploring innovative ways to blend my passion for astronomy with my music, such as data sonification and integrating cultural cosmic perspectives. I hope to release my first full-length album in mid- to late-2026, promising a unique fusion of these disciplines.