This is Daniel Otte’s 12th year of teaching science at Ashland Middle School. His passion for teaching science and astronomy, in particular, are evident in a career dedicated to these pursuits. Before becoming a fixture here at AMS, Daniel taught in Myrtle Creek and Illinois where he grew up. He also taught advanced level chemistry in Tanzania as a Peace Corps volunteer for two years.
Daniel and his wife, Alison, moved to Ashland in 2007 when Alison took a position as a costume designer at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Their son, Sebastian, is currently a 3rd grader at Walker who loves to swim and spends the last bit of his school day hanging out with Daniel’s homeroom.
Currently, Daniel is in his 4th year of working on the Herschel 400 Project. Having observed and written descriptions of over 370 star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies discovered by William and Caroline Herschel, when Daniel reaches 400 he will be awarded the Master Observer designation by the Astronomical League, an organization that promotes the science of astronomy and is composed of over two hundred and forty local amateur astronomical societies from all across the United States.
In addition to his interest in astronomy, Daniel enjoys working with electronics and his 3D printer. Recent projects include the ship pictured in his photo that he created for the Dungeons and Dragons Club he mentors with AMS students. We feel lucky our students have such a dedicated and passionate guide in their classroom.