Dan is from the Philadelphia suburbs and has lived throughout the Mid-Atlantic, getting his BA in history and English at the University of Delaware and completing his PhD at New York University, studying colonial American and early United States history. He came to the Princeton area in 2016 when he started work as an educational assessment specialist, and he continues in this work developing United States history exams that are administered to students around the country.  

Dan grew up singing in his local church choir and first started singing in a symphonic chorus with the University of Delaware Schola Cantorum. While living in New York City, he performed regularly in choruses, including as a member of the New York Choral Society, with highlights that have included performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.  He joined Princeton Pro Musica in 2016 and joined the board as a first-time board member in 2025.