Caption: The Butler community says goodbye to beloved professor Dr. Victor Puleo. Photo courtesy of pia.org.

JASPER PILARZ | NEWS CO-EDITOR | lpilarz@butler.edu

The Butler community mourns the loss of Dr. Victor Puleo, who lost his battle to cancer on Jan. 3, 2025. Puleo was an associate professor in the Lacy School of Business as well as Butler’s Davey Chair of Risk Management and Insurance.

Puelo began his work at Butler in 2018 as the Davey Chair of Risk Management and Insurance, a position he held until his passing. He was also the Academic Director for the Masters of Science in Risk & Insurance program starting in 2018, as well as department chair for the Risk Management & Insurance department from 2020-2022. Several students spoke about his impact as their professor, not just in his instruction but also as a passionate educator.

Maggie Baranick, a senior risk management & insurance major, said she remembers Puleo by his positive attitude and ever-present love for teaching.

“I could not tell you one time that he wasn’t smiling or up walking around and engaging with the class,” Baranick said. “He was one of those professors that you could tell wanted to be [in class]. He would tell us every single day that we were the best part of his day.”

In addition to his multiple positions at Butler, Puleo held a long and fulfilling career as a professor at the University of Central Arkansas, the College of Charleston and Appalachian State University. Puleo was also a Certified Insurance Counselor and Certified Financial Planner, whose passion for his field was evident in everything he did.

Puleo was one of few in the risk management and insurance industry to have a doctorate in the field, so to have his full dedication to the Lacy School of Business was a great asset and privilege to Butler.

Craig Caldwell, Dean of the Lacy School of Business, spoke to Puleo’s ambition and dedication to his work, and how Puleo’s work was driven by a call to support others.

“He was an expert; there’s no question about it,” Caldwell said. “He was absolutely an expert, but he was an expert with a really good ability to connect with the industry … his expertise was benefits, and so he would be very much an advocate. He wasn’t just [representing] the insurance firm trying to maximize profit and things, but [for Puleo] it was really about how you deliver good care for your employees with your benefits packages.”

Jackie Lawrence is an economics, risk management & insurance and Spanish triple major who took Dr. Puleo’s Employee Benefits and Retirement class in spring 2024. 

Lawrence remembered how even though the class did not perfectly align with her field of interest, it was Puleo’s teaching and demeanor that made the class memorable.

“We would be talking about employee benefits packages, and he would just tell stories and make it the most interesting ever,” Lawrence said. “He really had a passion for the industry. Because of that, [we] as students were motivated to follow in that passion as well.”

Oscar Sandoval, a senior risk management & insurance and finance double major, was Puleo’s advisee as well as a student in his Employee Benefits and Retirement class. 

Sandoval recalled how even when Puleo’s cancer treatments would prevent him from hosting class in person, he still found ways to engage with his students, either through hosting class over Zoom or using his own medical insurance as an in-class example.

“He was really open with us about [his cancer treatment], and talked about how it would make him feel, everything like that,” Sandoval said. “He also tied it back into the class, especially with the employee benefits and how Butler does a great job with his insurance and covers a lot of his medication and treatment.”

Puleo is cited by many as a pillar of the Risk Management & Insurance department. As faculty advisor to Butler’s chapter of the Gamma Sigma Iota professional fraternity, Puleo helped guide students through their academic careers and into the professional world. His achievements and expertise in the Risk Management & Insurance field were unmatched, and his dedication to teaching made him a perfect find for the Butler community.

Caldwell praised Puleo for his dedication to his students in and beyond the classroom.

“He just had a very dear commitment to students and their welfare, not just in the insurance space, but just generally as human beings,” Caldwell said.

Lawrence’s favorite memory of her time with Puleo, was, ironically, his strict habit of keeping students for the full duration of their class time.

“He would never let us out of class early,” Lawrence said. “And he would always tell us ‘teaching [you] is the best part of my week.’”

Sandoval will always remember how driven Puleo was to help and support his students, and how Puleo always prioritized students’ success and engagement, especially as an advisor.

“On the last day of class he mentioned, if we ever needed anything in the future, that he would always be here for us,” Sandoval said. “It’s touching that he felt that same connection with us that we did with him.”

Services for Puleo will be held on Saturday, January 25, at 2 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Little Rock, Arkansas. An additional remembrance of life service will be held at Butler University on February 24, at 4 p.m. The Lacy School of Business will release more details regarding this service in the coming weeks.

Victor Puleo will be remembered fondly by the Butler community, his family and his husband of 20 years, Tim Guffey. His impact on his students, colleagues and community are felt daily, and his presence will be dearly missed.