Music was playing, and everyone was standing and clapping as Dr. David Gullatt, dean of Louisiana Tech’s College of Education, received his Man of the Year award from the International Association of Truancy and Dropout Prevention in Las Vegas.

‘It was like the Academy Awards,’ Gullatt said. ‘It’s a once in a lifetime experience.’

Gullatt received the service award for his work for training supervisors, principals, superintendents and others as hearing officers for truancy cases. He joined the association in the early