By Nikki Babri
UC Irvine was founded with a three-part mission: teaching, research and service. While faculty and students often receive recognition for advancing these pillars, School of Humanities staff members quietly embody this commitment to service in profound ways, extending their impact into the communities where they live and work.
A voice for the vulnerable
Humanities staff bring the same dedication they show in supporting students and faculty to addressing critical community needs at UCI and beyond.
Gloria Simpson, Department Manager in the Department of Philosophy, spent four years volunteering as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), where she served as a voice for children and youth in the foster care system. Her role involved visiting assigned foster children, attending court hearings and ensuring these vulnerable individuals received the services they needed for a stable future.
“Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the needs of foster children – my mother was a foster parent, which deeply shaped my perspective,” Simpson explains. “That experience sparked a lifelong passion for supporting children and advocating for their well-being.”
Her work with CASA highlighted the critical importance of consistency in these children’s lives. Foster youth often experience a revolving door of adults, making trust difficult to establish. When that trust finally develops, she explains, it creates meaningful connections that can change the trajectory of a young person’s life. The experience further exposed Simpson to diverse communities and perspectives, deepening her empathy for families navigating complex systems and reinforcing the importance of advocacy and consistent support.
Strengthening local democracy
Dr. Kelly Anne Brown, Director of Media Relations and Communications for the School of Humanities, currently serves as Chair of the Parks and Community Services Commission for the City of Costa Mesa, a body to which she was appointed by her City Councilwoman. Elected to this leadership role in 2025 after serving as a commissioner since 2021, her academic background in studying modernist representations of publicness has proven surprisingly helpful in reimagining how cities can better engage their residents in meaningful dialogue.
“I’m a big believer in local government, and the need for the people who live and work in the community to serve as community experts on bodies like commissions or committees,” she explains. As a commissioner, Brown acts as a liaison between Costa Mesa constituents and city staff, providing leadership on parks funding and reviewing projects that will shape the community for years to come. Her role extends beyond traditional administrative duties as she works to improve public engagement processes and make government more responsive to community needs.
Brown’s most significant achievement has been leading the Commission in creating a “values and principles” document to guide City Council policy decisions on park funding. Her commission work has broadened her understanding of her local community by requiring her to engage with residents who hold vastly different values, interests and priorities than her own, deepening her appreciation for the varied needs and perspectives that exist within a single community.
Wellness and community connection
Haleema Sood, Staff Personnel Analyst in the School of Humanities, discovered an unexpected outlet for community service through KUCI radio, where she hosts “Peace Time,” a public affairs show focused on mindfulness and self-care. Broadcasting Fridays at 5:00 PM on 88.9 FM, Sood incorporates her 20-plus years of yoga and meditation training to offer guided meditation, visualization and yogic breathing exercises to listeners.
“I just love being able to share positive energy with the world! There is so much negativity and violence in our world, which motivates me to keep doing my show,” Sood shares. Her path to radio began in 2019 when she spotted a flyer on campus advertising free DJ training – a sign she kept on her vision board for years before finally pursuing the opportunity.
Her work reaches beyond Orange County through KUCI’s internet streaming, connecting with listeners globally who seek moments of calm and reflection. One particularly meaningful moment came when Sood covered “The Freshman Weekly,” a show for incoming undergraduates. She shared breathing techniques, encouraging affirmations and practical advice about seeking help when needed. Speaking directly to 19-year-olds about normalizing homesickness and academic struggles, she felt she was offering the wisdom of an elder to students navigating their university transition – an experience she describes as one of the most rewarding of her life.
Made with love
Whitney Young, Director of the Humanities Office of Undergraduate Study, channels her longtime passion for crocheting into supporting people facing one of life’s most challenging experiences. She creates handmade caps for Knots of Love, a nonprofit organization that provides handmade gifts to people undergoing chemotherapy.
What began as a high school hobby transformed into meaningful community contribution when Young discovered Knots of Love at the Orange County Fair, leading her to create caps for both fair submission and donation – even earning second place recognition this year.
“I felt inspired by the fact that I could improve my crochet skills and hopefully make a difference to someone going through one of the most difficult health challenges a person can face,” Young reflects. Each cap represents hours of thoughtful work designed to provide comfort and dignity to someone in their most vulnerable moments.
Beyond connecting with people through her handmade gifts, Young’s volunteer work has broadened her understanding of how creativity transcends cultures. During the pandemic, she discovered how craft connects people across cultural and linguistic boundaries when she successfully followed a Portuguese crochet tutorial despite not understanding the language.
Community support during crisis
Nina Nguyen, Finance and Schedule of Classes Coordinator in the English Department, has channeled her volunteer efforts toward supporting underserved communities through organizations like Girls Inc. and Orange County Rescue Mission. At OC Rescue Mission, she served meals and cleaned facilities, while her work with Girls Inc. offered educational support during a critical time when many children lacked access to in-person learning resources.
During the pandemic lockdown, she participated in Girls Inc.’s Literacy Lab program, working weekly with children over Zoom to support their reading, writing and vocabulary development. “Girls Inc. offers these literacy labs at no cost to elementary school-aged children in underserved communities. It was very rewarding to work with these students and to offer them some normalcy during the otherwise difficult pandemic lockdown,” Nguyen shares.
The pandemic presented unique challenges for maintaining community connections, but Nguyen found that virtual volunteering with Girls Inc. allowed her to provide stability and educational support to young students amid widespread upheaval.
The School of Humanities’ mission includes preparing students to understand and make sense of other people and their cultures. Through their volunteer commitments, staff members demonstrate this mission firsthand, bringing invaluable community perspectives to their work supporting the campus.
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