Can I expose Contribution data to search?

I'm playing with the Contribution plugin, and have a question about searching for data:

When searching my collection, I don't get hits on the data that users provided when they submit the item via the Contribution plugin. Is there a way to expose that data to the search process?

For example, I'd like to be able to search by the name of the contributor. Right now typing a name into the search box shows no results, even when I know it is a used name.

In the advanced search menu I don't see my custom Contribution fields as options to search by. Adding them there would be ideal - is it possible?

If your custom fields are really data about the item, you should add them to the item type and the "contributed elements" in the plugin. This way, the metadata will be directly added to the item, and will be accessible through the normal advanced search system.

Unfortunately, the Omeka search only deals with items, not with any other Omeka objects, like contributors. It would probably be possible to have Contribution add some additional filters to the search, but I'm not exactly sure what form those would or should take.