Highlander Farewells is a recurring feature spotlighting faculty and staff members who recently retired or are retiring soon.
Learn more about the contributions of UCR colleagues with 25 years or more of service in the short profiles that follow. Retirees with fewer years or who did not provide profile information are listed below. The list includes employees who filed for retirement in June 2026 and provided information to the UCR Retirement Center.
We extend our gratitude to all our colleagues for their service and wish them well in their next chapter!
Susan Straight, a distinguished professor of creative writing, is retiring after 37 years of service. She joined UCR as a lecturer in 1988 and went on to help found the Department of Creative Writing. She also co-founded the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts. An acclaimed novelist, Straight has published a dozen books including “Sacrament” (2025), “Mecca” (2022), and her memoir “In the Country of Women” (2019). She has taught thousands of students about fiction, novels, short stories, poetry, and memoirs, with several going on to publish their own books.
Claire Federici, a staff research associate with the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, is retiring after 37 years of service. As part of a research group led by Professor Mikael Roose, Federici worked on genetics and breeding of citrus and asparagus. Her lab work involved analyzing molecular markers and citrus fruit quality analysis, while field work took her to research plots across Southern California interacting with private growers and UC research station personnel.
Cliff Trafzer, a distinguished professor of history and the Costo Chair in American Indian Affairs, is retiring after 35 years of service. Trafzer helped build the Native American Studies program at UCR and is a former director of UCR’s California Center for Native Nations. An author and historian who has won many accolades, Trafzer conducted community-based research that changed the historiography of Native American history and American West history.
Jang-Ting Guo, a professor of economics, is retiring after 33 years of service. His research focused on macroeconomic theory, particularly business cycle fluctuations and economic growth, fiscal policy, and taxation. His work has been published in many highly ranked academic journals. Guo has served as the president of the Chinese Economic Association and he is currently on the editorial boards of Economic Theory, International Journal of Economic Theory, and Economic Modelling.
Susan Hollobaugh, a financial services analyst with the Administrative Services and Strategic Executive Team, or ASSET, is retiring after 33 years of service. She began her career at UCR in 1993 as a data entry clerk in the Office of Development in University Advancement, working her way to an analyst position. She worked with the School of Medicine from 2015 to 2019 and Planning, Design, and Construction for the last seven years.
Kathleen Eiler, senior director of federal relations in the Office of Governmental and Community Relations, retired after almost 30 years of service. As senior director for nine years, she advocated for university priorities in higher education, research, and public service at the federal level. She helped secure congressional support for key initiatives in agriculture, science, engineering, health, and technology. Eiler elevated UCR’s national presence and strengthened partnerships in Washington, DC.
Linda Sanada, a technical projects manager with the Teacher Professional Development Program in the School of Education, is retiring after almost 30 years of service. She joined UCR as an administrative assistant in the California Educational Research Cooperative. She later moved over to the Teacher Professional Development Program as a programmer/analyst, where she oversaw the creation of an online teacher induction program. She served as a liaison with the Riverside County Office of Education. Sanada was also a UCR wellness ambassador organizing lunchtime workouts and yoga classes at Sproul Hall.
Deborah Huston, a statistician with the School of Education, is retiring after more than 27 years of service. Her office helped create publications, presentations, and awards for their research team and worked with over 4,000 teachers a year for their teacher induction program. The office created annual data reports distributed to over 150 agencies.
Shou-Wei Ding, a distinguished professor of microbiology and plant pathology, is retiring after more than 25 years of service. His research focused on plant viruses and immune systems. His discoveries were featured on the cover of Science magazine and led to an antiviral vaccination strategy. Ding is a recipient of the Noel T. Keen Award from the American Phytopathological Society and is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Microbiology.
Margene Mastin-Schepps, executive director of Brand and Creative Services in University Communications and Marketing, is retiring after more than 25 years of service. She and her multimedia design and communications team introduced UCR’s first institutional logo (seen at the HUB UCR sculpture) and the “Bold Hearts, Brilliant Minds” marketing identity. Her team oversaw several national advertising campaigns promoting UCR research and academic prestige. She also helped oversee fundraising communications for a variety of campaigns and programs, including Homecoming and the UCR Honors gala.
Michael Fugate, an academic coordinator with the Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, is retiring after 25 years of service. He worked with graduate students, faculty, and staff to design an undergraduate research experience where introductory biology students investigate urban ecology. Fugate worked with other academic coordinators to develop a course to support first-time biology graduate student teaching assistants.
Also, retiring:
Gloria Gonzalez-Rivera, a professor of economics and associate dean for social sciences, after 34 years of service.
Crissy Ward, a financial services supervisor in the Department of Mathematics, after 27 years of service.
Sampurna Hariputra, a mail processor in Mail Services, after 19 years of service.
Maria Simani, executive director for the California Science Project in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, after 15 years of service.
Nicole Sparks, assistant director of finance and business operations with ASSET, after 15 years of service.
KA Aguilar, a clinical affiliate relationship manager with the School of Medicine, after 10 years of service.
