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