Joe Kuhl
Audio/Video Technician at Campus Life Center
Start Date: January 20, 2026
Joe Kuhl has a pretty ‘cool’ job on campus where he leads a student team and manages the essential audio-visual equipment for major events at Stony Brook University. From campus block parties, lecture keynotes and functions happening around campus, Joe and his team make sure the technology is flawless, providing the best experience possible for the SBU community.
Joe has worked in audio/video technology for more than 30 years, spending most of his career at Five Towns College in Dix Hills. After graduating with his Master’s Degree in Music, he began his first full-time job as a recording engineer at a studio in West Islip. He eventually went back to his roots at Five Towns, where he worked as an instructor and chair of audio.
“I’ve been into audio engineering since I was 12 years old.” It all started in the sixth grade when Joe’s music teacher called in sick, and the substitute played the Beatles' movie Help! He thought the film was pretty ‘cool’, and it got him hooked on music. He learned how to play the guitar, piano, bass, drums and the harmonica. That same year, he discovered multitracking. Joe recorded different instruments onto separate tape recorders and played them all back at the same time. His 12-year-old breakthrough contributed to his recording engineering fascination, and his childhood obsession turned into his first full-time job.
Joe left Five Towns College in 2020 to pursue live audio in Manhattan, but then the pandemic hit and all audio was shut down. He still wanted to do something in this field, and he found the perfect opportunity when he spotted an opening for a recreation director role at the Bristal, an assisted living facility in East Northport. He provided music therapy and played games with the residents, while simultaneously running their audio system. He even got to perform for them every week. “There were people with dementia there who couldn’t remember five minutes ago and will remember Fly Me To The Moon, and sing right along with you.” In the dark times of the pandemic, he was able to help cheer people – and himself – up through such a rewarding and uplifting experience.
“I came to Stony Brook in January 2026 because I missed higher education, and what better place to be than at the flagship university of New York!” He said he was longing for the vibe, students and campus lifestyle experiences he had so enjoyed for three decades. What’s more, taking on the challenge of previously working at a small college and shifting to a large university setting was the kind of professional development he was looking for. He heard about Stony Brook’s prestigious reputation for years, through his friends who went to SBU, and his wife who already worked at the university. His goal is to bring his many years of audio/video wisdom to the next generation of students.
Joe has gotten some of his students to take on audio/video technology on the side, where they are picking up gigs like DJing. “It’s exciting to see the students, and see their excitement, when learning new things.” He appreciates that the students are always looking to learn something new and asking advanced questions about the audio/video technology, sharing his own lifelong passion.
Along with his interest in music and technology, Joe is a published songwriter – with some of his songs placed in films and reality TV shows, mainly on the Discovery and Travel channels. His love for learning and troubleshooting technology also taught him how to fly a plane and he’s been a private pilot for around 10 years now.
Outside of work, Joe enjoys spending time with his wife, Jennifer, and cat, Liam, on the south shore. He continues to pursue his passion for music by performing at assisted living facilities with his friend Todd. The Joe and Todd Variety Hour play at these venues at least once a month, and they include songs from the ‘40s all the way up to the ‘70s. Joe even had his first celebrity spotting at his local supermarket, where a stranger asked, “Are you Joe or Todd?”