UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — His voice resonates, as will his legacy: Jeff Brown, an instructor and longtime faculty general manager of CommRadio, will retire from the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State on June 30, 2026.
Brown has been with the University since 2001 while balancing duties as a morning show disc jockey in State College along with roles as public address announcer for Penn State basketball and the State College Spikes. He has also shared his talents as an emcee and host for a variety of charitable events benefitting Centre County nonprofit organizations.
Brown has been named “Best Radio Personality” several times in the State College market and was named small market Broadcaster of the Year by the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters in 2018. He also earned a national Marconi Award and was inducted into the Slippery Rock University Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2016.
Although he’s retiring from his academic unit role, Brown will keep working as a morning-drive DJ and continue in his efforts with Penn State Athletics and helping nonprofits.
Brown’s impact and legacy include the creation of CommRadio, the official radio/streaming station and podcast network of the Bellisario College, which has helped thousands of students start their careers and set the stage for more to do so in the future.
With many students interested in broadcasting, Brown guided the launch of CommRadio — making the Bellisario College an early adopter of streaming to allow students to gain necessary on-air experience and serve listeners.
In his role leading the organization, Brown crafted numerous opportunities and partnerships that benefitted students. Specifically, CommRadio often provides some of the first hands-on production experience aspiring broadcasters get at Penn State, and the organization also conducts some of the most high-profile assignments available for students.
Brown championed all those opportunities.
He understood the importance of students getting immediate experience, so he found ways for students to create content and participate as soon as they arrived on campus. In addition, his leadership was vital in the creation of high-profile experiences that have included annually covering the NFL Draft on location as well as covering Penn State football games and bowl games. CommRadio was the first college radio station admitted to cover the NFL Draft, in 2009, and students have covered the event annually for the past 17 years.
CommRadio students regularly produce half-hour newscasts, provide play-by-play of many Penn State and State College Area High School sporting events and are responsible for creating and airing talk shows each week. Students also produce a variety of podcasts, social media content and written stories on news, sports, entertainment and more.
The combination of teaching and mentoring fit Brown’s passion and skillset perfectly.
He planned to major in elementary education and teach kindergarten when he attended Slippery Rock University, but that changed when he found his passion at the campus radio station. His career took him to Texas, Maryland, New York and Pittsburgh before he arrived in State College.
His first day on the air in State College was Aug. 8, 1988, and he started his morning duties at the market’s classic rock station in 2000.
Brown, who has four adult children and four grandchildren, built an additional family through his work at Penn State. He made connections with alumni and leaders in the profession while nurturing and supporting students so they could succeed.
The approach led to exceptional growth and participation in CommRadio and built a community and culture that will resonate for years — just like Brown’s voice.