Rate My Professor Gary Jacobs

Gary Jacobs serves as Associate Professor of Art - Design and Applied Arts in the School of Design within Rochester Institute of Technology's College of Art and Design. He holds the position of Undergraduate Program Director for the 3D Digital Design BFA program. Jacobs earned his BFA from the University of Northern Colorado and his MFA from Pennsylvania State University. With more than twenty years of professional experience in digital design and illustration, he has collaborated on diverse projects encompassing theme park attractions, public architectural spaces, and environmental graphics. His approach emphasizes crafting visual solutions that immerse and engage audiences in interactive experiences.

At RIT, Jacobs instructs a range of advanced courses in 3D digital design, including Modeling Strategies, which explores advanced 3D modeling techniques such as hard-surface modeling, digital sculpting, retopology, baking, motion-oriented modeling, and procedural techniques; Materials and Surfaces, providing comprehensive introduction to digital materials covering shading, procedural workflows, UV manipulation, vertex painting, and game engine integration; Environment Design, covering modeling techniques for interior and exterior environments with appropriate proportions, lighting, surface design, and detail levels; 3D Digital Design Internship; and Independent Study options. His areas of expertise include 3D modeling and motion, creative entrepreneurship, Unreal Engine, Blender, Maxon Cinema 4D, Autodesk Revit, Trimble SketchUp, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Substance Painter, and Quixel Mixer.

Jacobs contributed the installation 'Airport Canopy' at Rochester International Airport on November 2, 2018. He presented at the 2021 Frameless Symposium on XR technologies and led a design master class for regional art teachers in 2019. Jacobs participated in design workshops connecting students with industry and supported the Rochester airport renovation through his designs. Student projects under his involvement include the 100 Hour Project 'Bump my Ride,' a virtual car show animation.