Most advisors would be offended if their new first-year advisees did not pay attention during their advising appointment.
But Leo Pucacco takes their distraction as a compliment. He expects them to look around.
“One student told me that his first exposure to SMU was in my office in what he called the temple of Star Trek,” said Dr. Pucacco, a freshman advisor and assistant dean for the School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University.
Two walls are covered in more than 65 pictures with captions, and he has a shelf with more than 50 Star Trek figurines, another eight figurines tacked on a wall, and a drawer full of extra figurines in case any go missing.
He also has a Star Trek screen saver.
But when his students sit down for their appointment and see a large black file cabinet displaying five Star Trek pictures and eight post-it-notes decorated with phrases such as “the Tribble says go to class” and “go to class because osmosis is overrated,” they quickly realize that Pucacco’s real passion is helping his students succeed.
His passion does not go unnoticed. “The campus is full of employees, staff, and professors, and I would say a lot of times those people forget that we are here for the students. And Leo doesn’t. He’s a real advocate for the students,” said Lisobel Bernal, Pucacco’s colleague in the engineering advising office.
Pucacco makes sure that students are congratulated for high academic records.
He writes approximately 200 personalized notes every semester congratulating pre-majors and engineers for a 3.5 or higher grade point average.
Students who have received these letters appreciate the personal attention.
“He has sent me a hand written card every semester, even when he wasn’t my advisor anymore,” said Annie Brownstein, a senior engineer. “It makes me think that some advisors really care and invest themselves in the growth of the student.”
More than 37 teaching and advising awards are perfectly aligned on two of Dr. Pucacco’s office walls alongside his Star Trek paraphernalia.
He received one award the first year teaching at Wichita State and a corresponding award the first year teaching at Southern Methodist University. He was shocked to receive them both.
“These awards, they really mean something but frankly after awhile you realize that teaching is half of it, the other half is relationships,” Pucacco said. “You have to have a good relationship with students.”
Pucacco has been a fan of science fiction since grammar school, but he did not start watching Star Trek until graduate school when it first aired on a Thursday night in 1966.
He said he became a fan of the show because all of the characters “are scientifically driven people.”
Although the show has been on for decades, he makes sure to tune in all day Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
He has even attended five Star Trek conventions in the Dallas area, although he has never dressed up.
Along Pucacco’s office shelf, above the Star Trek figurines, are four family pictures, but they are not families of his own. They are the families of those that work around him. Pucacco is a bachelor.
“That’s one of the reasons I was able to do some of the things maybe that other faculty couldn’t do,” he said.
He spends his free time either serving as an advisor for student groups or spending time with his 90-year-old mother who is in a nursing home.
One of Pucacco’s favorite activities as an advisor and assistant dean is to announce student names at graduation.
He looks forward to surprising students as they walk up to get their diploma by announcing specific accomplishments and unique double majors.
Not only is Pucacco an advocate for students, he is also an advocate for the faculty and the university itself.
When the admissions office needed help recruiting students in 1987, he switched over to the admissions office as a senior associate director.
He stayed in admissions for four years “because if admissions don’t succeed the whole school doesn’t succeed,” said Pucacco.
During this time, Pucacco was in charge of the budget for the staff and he realized that the staff, in his opinion, was not receiving the money it deserved or getting raises.
In response, he decided to erase the whole five percent raise he received himself and divide his raise up between the staff members.
Pucacco strives to be a resource for groups who need help and encouragement from a faculty member whenever he can.
He is the first ever faculty advisor to the National Society of Black Engineers and the National Society of Women Engineers.
“He doesn’t come to all of our meetings but the ones that he does attend he makes his presence known by the atmosphere that he creates,” said Tori Cole, the president of the National Society of Black Engineers. “He’s a great advisor and a great person all around.”
Pucacco thinks it is rewarding when a group of students wants to do something and all they need is some encouragement.
He is surprised to find that some of his brightest students in years lack self-confidence while those with less talent do not.
“Sometimes you [the students] have got to remember that you are pretty damn good,” Pucacco said.