Celebrating Our Small But Mighty Nightly Workforce

Organized by the UC San Diego Staff Association, Celebrate the Night is an annual tradition to honor the contributions of the nearly 300 staff members who work at UC San Diego when the sun goes down. This year’s event was held at the Ida and Cecil Green Faculty Club and featured a Hawaiian BBQ dinner and fully stocked Summer Celebration Cooler Tote bags as giveaways.

UC San Diego Executive Vice Chancellor Elizabeth H. Simmons kicked off the festivities with a welcoming song of gratitude. “Everybody on campus appreciates what you do, and I am always glad for the chance to meet you and spend a little bit of time with you,” she said before sharing a song that referenced bringing gifts of flowers.

Campus Chief Human Resources Officer Terri Winbush encouraged staff to prioritize their well-being during her remarks. “Tonight is about celebrating you, our nighttime knights,” she said. “Just because you work when it’s dark, it doesn’t mean you’re not seen. I see every single one of you and your unwavering efforts. Take time for yourself—book that vacation, take care of your body and make time for your wellness so you don’t have to make time for your illness.”

The night staff is small but mighty. They are the eyes and ears of the campus, solving any issues that arise overnight, making sure people are ready to do their best each day.

Vice Chancellor for Operations Management and Capital Programs Niraj Dangoria noted, “Because of you, every morning, people find a campus that is clean, safe and functional. We are here to serve UC San Diego and help its people succeed—each one of you play a role in making that happen.”

One of the guests of the celebration, Isaiah Hailu, has been on UC San Diego’s Housing, Dining, Hospitality team for 35 years. He shared that when he first started with the university, shifts used to end at 1 a.m., but since 2008, his team is available to students 24 hours per day. He has also witnessed first-hand the growth of the university and its night staff. “This is a good crowd! I love going to this event because you can see how we are growing—there used to be 20 overnight workers and we now have close to 300. This is amazing,” Hailu remarked. “You get to know a lot of people, and this is one place where we can all gather and connect with each other. I also appreciate seeing leadership here."

UC San Diego Alumnus and Police Department Patrol Corporal Moises Mercado served as a Community Service Official while a student, graduated in 2019 with a degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology and returned to the university two years ago. Most of his career has been working nights, but he noted that, “Even though we work at night, we don’t get to see the amount of people who work during the nighttime to keep the campus going. This event is a good way to meet and mingle.”