For the last 35 years, professor Jeff Jacoby has made noise in the radio world, now he’s making noise with students on SF State's KSFS radio station as the new instructor.

The campus radio station is undergoing a massive reconstruction effort both culturally and physically, obtaining new equipment in pursuit of making KSFS a campus institution, in part because of Jacoby.

Jacoby is in his second semester at SF State as a professor in sound production for electronic media, an emphasis within the Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts (BECA) major. In addition to teaching, Jacoby also has a radio show on KSFS, called “DaDa Radio,” on Tuesdays.

“I absolutely fell in love with teaching and I didn’t know,” said Jacoby.

Jenn Solis, 22, a graduating senior as well as the program director for KSFS, said Jacoby has had a huge impact on the program.

“With Jeff coming in it just energized everybody to work harder,” said Solis.

Solis is also working with Jacoby to gain more KSFS listeners at SF State.

“We’re working hard on making a very strong campus presence. We are inviting student groups and organizations to do shows on our station. We have a lot more people on campus who aren’t members of KSFS who want to have their own shows,” said Solis.

Jacoby runs an audio, video and radio production, called Living Sounds Production, and has done so for the past 27 years in New Haven, Connecticut in addition to teaching.

After a number of years in the radio business, Jacoby decided to try teaching and took a job part time at Quinninpiac University in Connecticut for three years.

After teaching at Quinnipiac, Jacoby decided to teach full time and enrolled at the Art Institute of Boston –– not affiliated with the Art Institute of SF –– in the MFA Sound Art program. After he graduated in spring of 2006, Jacoby was hired at SF State.

Prior to attending art school, Jacoby viewed his radio art separate from his communication work as a sound designer, producer or director.

“The school experience was transformative for me. I began to explore sound and radio art in new ways,” said Jacoby.

As for re-vamping KSFS, Jacoby said he will not stop until KSFS is a major player in the BECA department, on campus and in the community.

“It will take the university at large to begin to experience the new KSFS, but they will, I guarantee it,” said Jacoby.

KSFS has recently rebuilt its sound room and production studios, which outgoing KSFS instructor Rick Houlberg is responsible for. In addition, KSFS has also received new equipment.

Jacoby wants his students to know these changes will take time, and demands that students step up and do something about it.

“That’s a cultural shift. It’s a unique media. Radio is not dead, it’s just morphing into something new,” said Jacoby. “As a sound artist I’m bringing a new view of what’s possible on the air.”

KSFS is already streaming on the Internet and Jacoby plans for an iTunes stream, podcasts and even a Webcam feed in the future.

Felipe Neira, a Creative Arts Technical Services (CATS) audio technician at KSFS, said it's important to keep students up to date with the rapid changes in technology.

"Part of this ambitious makeover was thanks to the buzz that Irene McGee, from ‘No one is listening,’ was creating due to her podcast and also the budget approval from professor Rick Houlberg, who was in charge of KSFS at the time,” said Neira. “Thanks to these two people, the ideas in my head, and final design of David Holland at OMNIRAX, KSFS ON AIR room is a more professional environment for the students to learn in."

Jacoby currently sees his work as a professor as priority number one and is determined to become exceptional at it.

“I ask them to re-think their view of what is and further think about what radio could be,” said Jacoby.

Francis Basbas, music director for KSFS, said it was refreshing to have Jacoby after a "dry spell" within the program.

“Jeff came in at a time when people believed radio was out of taste and we learned from him that we can find new ways to make it interesting again, said Basbas.

Basbas, who hosts two radio shows of his own, said when he was a newcomer he was left to figure things out on his own.

“I’ve learned that you really have to take care of your crew. You have to take pride in what you do because with a baby growing like this you really have to see it through from the bottom to the top,” said Basbas.

Jacoby says the radio is a medium of sound and believes in using sound to create a sonic landscape.

“KSFS is changing, I see a wonderful intersect of opportunities and challenges for the students and the department,” said Jacoby.

Jacoby's show can be heard on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Check out the Web site here: KSFS, which can be heard at 80.1 FM and 100.7 FM radio on Comcast cable radio.