Thomas Fleming taught government and history to the special education students of the Washtenaw County Juvenile Detention Center in the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. Mr. Fleming discovered his love for teaching when, in college, he worked for a community outreach program with troubled youth in Detroit. Working closely with especially needy adolescents, he said, where they may have previously given up on school, "I have a chance to help them develop a thirst for knowledge. I love the shared challenge of inquiry in which we learn about the world and learn from one another. I also feel I am now at the stage of integrating skills and knowledge acquired in the last 23 years in the various dimensions of my personal life and career." Mr. Fleming was recognized as Michigan Teacher of the Year for 1991 by the Michigan State Board of Education. He was also named Teacher of the Year for 1992 by the Council of Chief State School Officers and Encyclopedia Britannica Inc.
1993 Eastern Michigan University, Ph.D.
