Sunshine and Smiles: UC San Diego’s Staff Summer Celebration

UC San Diego’s annual Staff Summer Celebration brought the campus community together on Aug. 28 for an afternoon of fun, recognition and relaxation under the sun. Held on Sun God Lawn, the yearly event featured a Hawaiian barbecue lunch, lawn games, interactive booths showcasing staff associations, music and more. Staff members from all areas of campus came together at the picnic, offering a chance to reconnect with old friends or meet new Tritons for the first time.

Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla delivered inspiring remarks during the celebration, expressing gratitude to the staff for their dedication, hard work and commitment. Khosla highlighted the university's growing impact in higher education, noting achievements such as UC San Diego Health’s top 20 national ranking and the university's status as the sixth best in the country. He also emphasized the vital role staff play in these accomplishments, particularly in their continuous support during the pandemic and their contribution to the campus’s physical expansion.

“I say thank you, because without you, we would not be who we are and where we are in the world of higher education.”

- Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla

Chancellor Khosla introduced Niraj Dangoria to the staff community as UC San Diego’s new vice chancellor for operations management and capital programs. In this role, Dangoria supervises a diverse portfolio of critical areas vital to the overall operations of UC San Diego including the Health System. He oversees units such as UC San Diego police, strategic energy initiatives, transportation services, environment, health and safety in addition to many other areas.

Jocelyn Pacheco ’93, director of business and fiscal affairs, and Kelvin Huang, associate industrial hygienist, were honored with awards during the celebration. Pacheco received the Kevin McCauley Memorial Outstanding Staff Award, which recognizes University of California staff members who are supportive and inclusive of staff; encourage equity, diversity and inclusion; are forward-thinking; and do not compromise the quality of work they offer for fellow staff, students or faculty. Huang was awarded the Outstanding Board Member Award, given annually to a local Staff Assembly Executive Board member for exemplary service.

“Being in person is magical … It is beautiful to be in community together.”

- Roberta Camerena ‘93, Director of chancellor community relations and chair of the 2024-25 Staff Association Executive Board

With music from DJ Shammy Dee ’06 setting a festive atmosphere, colleagues enjoyed an afternoon picnic filled with camaraderie, food, snow cones, dancing and lawn games. The DJ played a lively mix of genres, featuring today’s hottest artists like Chappell Roan and Charli XCX. 

Tritons visited booths scattered across Sun God Lawn to win prizes, play corn hole, jump in a photo booth, chat with fellow staff members and more. Eric Ninh, a business & technical support analyst at ITS, noted how wonderful it was to see people coming together to celebrate. He appreciated that even remote workers made time for the event, joining in for an afternoon of food and fun.

Chris Hughes, a network & system architect at the San Diego Supercomputer Center, attended the Staff Summer Celebration for the first time. 'I like the cumbia music—it’s so fun!' he said, surrounded by a crowd of dancing and singing staff. As a new staff member who joined six months ago, he finds the friendly and welcoming work environment as a positive reflection of the staff community.

Staff got their groove on with lively Zumba routines led by a UC San Diego dance instructor. They embraced the rhythm with high-energy Bachata, line dances, and more, smiling and having a blast as they moved to the music. Even King Triton joined in on the fun, dancing alongside staff members and nailing the line dances and viral TikTok routines.

Leticia Valverde, a custodian at UC San Diego who is celebrating six years of service, never misses the annual summer celebration. Each year, her favorite part is the dancing, especially the Latin music, which she finds the most fun to dance to.