25 UC Retirees Receive Annual Pensions Exceeding $300,000

Marc Joffe

Visiting Fellow

Marc Joffe
May 3, 2017

25 UC Retirees Receive Annual Pensions Exceeding $300,000

Twenty-five University of California retirees receive more than $300,000 annually in retirement,  the California Policy Center has learned. The information, contained in documents released to CPC through a public records request, comes amidst controversy over excessive compensation at the UC system and revelations of a secret slush fund at the system’s headquarters. CPC’s findings were broadcast by KPIX San Francisco and other CBS affiliates on May 5.

The highest paid pensioner is Professor Lewis L. Judd, a UC San Diego Psychiatry professor. He receives an annual pension of $385,765.

Lewis surpasses previous pension champion, Dr. Fawzy I. Fawzy, a UCLA Psychiatry Professor who retired in 2014 on a $354,469 annual pension. Assuming annual cost of living increases of 2%, Dr. Fawzy is now estimated to be receiving around $369,000 annually. But Fawzy also draws a UC salary, one of several hundred UC retirees brought back to teach after retiring. “Recalled” retirees, such as Fawzy, are eligible to draw both a salary and a pension. Fawzy’s total university income exceeded $650,000 in 2015.

Behind the shocking numbers is a six-month battle with university administrators who tried to block release of compensation. CPC Director of Policy Research Marc Joffe originally sent the UC president’s office a Public Records Act request for pension data in December 2016. After numerous delays and negotiations with CPC General Counsel Craig Alexander, the university released a limited amount of data to Joffe today. CPC made the request in connection with its 100k Pension Club project, a website database that contains a list of 50,000 retired California public sector employees who receive annual pensions greater than $100,000. That website is at http://www.100kclub.com.

Ultimately, UC provided a list of 2015 and 2016 retirees, eight of whom are receiving $300,000 or more. The remaining 17 names were included in UC’s previous pension disclosures, last updated for 2014. UC did not provide precise cost of living adjustments for each retiree. CPC estimated their current pensions by adding 2% per year since their date of retirement.

The complete list appears below:

 

Retiree Name Appointment Type Last Employer Annual Pension Benefit Date of Retirement
JUDD, LEWIS L Teaching Faculty San Diego $ 385,765 Jul 1, 2016
MATTHEWS, DENNIS L Non-Teaching Faculty Davis 370,880 2012
FAWZY, FAWZY I Teaching Faculty Los Angeles 368,790 2014
DE PAOLO, DONALD J Non-Teaching Faculty Lawrence Berkeley 359,922 Jul 1, 2016
HOLST, JAMES E. Staff Los Angeles 358,428 2006
RUDNICK, JOSEPH A Non-Teaching Faculty Los Angeles 344,925 Jul 1, 2016
VAZIRI, NOSRATOLA D Teaching Faculty Irvine 340,410 2011
GREENSPAN, JOHN S Teaching Faculty San Francisco 339,243 2014
GRAY, JOE W Non-Teaching Faculty Lawrence Berkeley 335,482 2011
SCHELBERT, HEINRICH R Teaching Faculty Los Angeles 333,247 2013
BRESLAUER, GEORGE W Non-Teaching Faculty Berkeley 328,476 2014
MARSHALL, LAWRENCE F Teaching Faculty San Diego 324,067 2010
KRUPNICK, JAMES T Non-Teaching Faculty Lawrence Berkeley 323,957 2012
DISAIA, PHILIP J Teaching Faculty Irvine 323,839 2010
GRUNSTEIN, MICHAEL Teaching Faculty Los Angeles 322,150 Jul 1, 2016
SIEFKIN, ALLAN D Non-Teaching Faculty Davis 322,101 2014
KENNEY, ERNEST B Teaching Faculty Los Angeles 320,608 2012
DARLING, BRUCE B. Non-Teaching Faculty Los Angeles 320,403 2012
DONALD, PAUL J. Teaching Faculty Davis 317,156 2011
CHERRY, JAMES D Non-Teaching Faculty Los Angeles 315,449 2013
ROLL, RICHARD W Non-Teaching Faculty Los Angeles 315,418 2014
TILLISCH, JAN H Non-Teaching Faculty Los Angeles 311,732 Aug 1, 2016
CYGAN, RALPH W Teaching Faculty Irvine 306,734 Jul 1, 2015
BRAFF, DAVID L Teaching Faculty San Diego 306,407 Feb 1, 2015
EISENBERG, MELVIN A Teaching Faculty Berkeley 305,012 Jan 1, 2015

Want more? Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

Thank you, we'll keep you informed!