Dr. Jorge Perez-Gallego is a multifaceted astronomer, designer, curator and educator with a Ph.D. in astronomy and an M.F.A. in design. My happy place is one in which my creative juices can flow toward celebrating wonder whether developing innovative informal science education opportunities or building meaningful bridges between science, art and technology. Currently, I am a scholar at the University of Colorado Boulder's Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences where, among other things, I co-direct the Nature, Environment, Science and Technology (NEST) Studio for the Arts, and work toward making Fiske Planetarium (& Science Center) a reference in informal science education and a welcoming creative avenue. My current research includes WHIMC, a National Science Foundation-funded research project whose goal includes leveraging video games, such as Minecraft, as a learning environment for learners to interactively explore the scientific journey; and the DUNES mission which aims to provide the first complete census of over 150 nearby galaxy halos down to very low surface brightness in order to unveil the elusive nature of Dark Matter in the universe. For those with an interest in science communication, I am also a member of SciAll.org.

My interdisciplinary background has allowed me to succeed in industry and academia. I have worked on an eclectic set of projects for private and cultural institutions—including project management, curatorial and strategic planning efforts—and taught graduate and undergraduate courses and seminars on subjects as diverse as astronomy, physics, graphic design, exhibition design, science fiction literature and cinema, and interactive media at institutions such as the University of Florida, the University of Miami, and the University of Colorado Boulder.

My work has been published in leading international journals and conferences on the fields of museums, scientific research, and art.