UCLA
Emeriti/Retirees Relations Center

Path Forward to Retirement for Staff

The path to retirement, while exciting and full of promise, can sometimes be unexpectedly bumpy. In partnership with UCLA’s Campus Human Resources (CHR), the UCLA Emeriti/Retirees Relations Center (ERRC) is pleased to offer a new four-part workshop series to help UCLA staff navigate the road to this next life chapter. These workshops are designed for staff who are within five years of retirement. All four sessions are held in Zoom Meeting Format.

  1. UC Retirement Plan
  2. Retiree Health Benefits
  3. Preparing Financially for Retirement
  4. Work/Life Transitions

You are encouraged to register for all four classes, however if you have already taken CHR’s “Planning Your UC Retirement” workshop, you do not need to register for session #1.

For questions about registration, curriculum or other general questions, please contact Ayesha Dixon, Director of the UCLA Emeriti/Retirees Relations Center, at ayesha.dixon@ucla.edu

Session 1: UC Retirement Plan

Friday, January 15, 2027

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Campus Human Resources representative will discuss the UC retirement process, including UC Retirement Plan (UCRP) payment options and survivor benefits. This session will help you understand your UC retirement benefits and the steps needed to retire. Participants will receive a step-by-step overview of applying through UCRAYS, creating a Personal Retirement Profile, submitting benefit elections, and preparing required documentation within retirement timelines.

Speaker: Camille Carr is a Retirement Counselor in UCLA’s Campus Human Resources Benefits Office, bringing more than two decades of experience in benefits and retirement counseling for campus employees. She helps members of the UCLA community understand their University of California retirement benefits and prepare for the transition from active employment to retirement. As one of UCLA’s two retirement counselors, she serves campus employees whose last names begin with A through K. Robert Larriva is assigned the UCLA campus population whose last names begin L – Z.

1/15/27 Session 1 Zoom Meeting

Session 2: UC Retiree Health and Welfare Benefits

Friday, January 22, 2027

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

This session will help you understand your health and welfare benefits in retirement, including retiree health eligibility, UC contributions and premiums. Topics also include Medicare enrollment and coordination with UC medical plans, health coverage for eligible survivors, and options for continuing or converting other insurance benefits.

Speakers: Erika Castillo and Debra Wells are Health Care Facilitators with UCLA Campus Human Resources. They help faculty, staff, retirees and eligible family members understand UC health coverage, coordinate Medicare benefits and resolve complex insurance, billing and access issues. Their program offers individual assistance and resources to support informed health care decisions before and throughout retirement.

1/22/27 Session 2 Zoom Meeting

Session 3: Preparing Financially for Retirement

Friday, January 29, 2027

10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

You may be planning and saving for retirement, but how do you know that you will not outlive your assets? In this workshop, you will learn more about preparing financially. In the first half of the workshop, you will learn about the greatest financial risks faced by retirees and will be introduced to an online income planning tool that will project income and expenses throughout your retirement. In the second half of the workshop, you will learn more about the role Social Security benefits play as part of a retirement income strategy, including eligibility, benefits calculations, and spousal benefits.

Speakers: Andrew Fung, a Fidelity director, retirement planner, has been with Fidelity since 2011, first at the Pasadena, California, Investor Center and then at UCLA. A Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor SM, investment advisor representative, and registered securities representative, Andrew holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of California, Riverside.

Sandy Soliman, a Fidelity Workplace Financial Consultant, has more than six years with the company and has been dedicated to the University of California since 2022. She was previously a planning consultant at Fidelity’s Santa Monica, California, Investor Center. A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER(TM) certificant, investment advisor representative, registered securities representative, and licensed insurance representative, Sandy holds a bachelor's degree in international business with an emphasis in Arabic from San Diego State University.

1/29/27 Session 3 Zoom Meeting

Session 4: Work/Life Transitions

Friday, February 5, 2027

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

In this session, you will learn strategies and campus resources to help staff navigate life beyond work, explore new interests and stay connected in retirement. While you may have put a lot of effort into preparing financially for retirement, how much thought have you given to preparing for the non-financial aspects of this new life phase? Not only are you leaving something, you are about to begin something new. Retirement is a major life transition that can bring unexpected changes to self-perception, relationships with family/friends and many other aspects of your life. During this interactive session, you will learn about strategies to make this next life chapter your best life chapter and you will hear from a panel of retirees who will share their personal retirement transition experiences.

Speaker: Ayesha Dixon, Senior Director of the UCLA Emeriti/Retirees Relations Center (ERRC), brings more than a two decades of experience in aging advocacy, civic engagement and program development. She holds master’s degrees in gerontology and public administration and champions positive aging and retiree inclusion.

2/5/27 Session 4 Zoom Meeting

Download your Retirement Booklets

The ERRC has paper copies in our office at 3334 Murphy Hall.

Tools

Important Contacts

Campus Partnerships

Helpful Links

Additional Resources