At 18, this teen is worlds youngest male professor, breaking a 306-year-old record

New DelhiAug 4, 2026 09:54 AM IST He is also 16 days younger than Alia Sabur, who became the world's youngest woman professor in 2008 at 18 years and 362 days old (Photo: Guinness World Records)At just 18 years and 346 days old, Nathan Thomas has become the world’s youngest male professor after landing a teaching position. Thomas, a Florida, US, resident, also shattered a Guinness World Records milestone that had remained unbroken for more than 300 years. According to Guinness World Records, Thomas bagged a teaching role at Miami Dade College in August 2023 and began instructing students in the course COP 2270: C For Engineers. At the time, many of his students were the same age as him.Thomas surpassed the previous record set by Scottish mathematician Colin Maclaurin, who became a professor at 19 in the early 18th century. The record had remained unbroken for 306 years. Thomas is also 16 days younger than Alia Sabur, who became the world’s youngest woman professor in 2008 at 18 years and 362 days old, Guinness World Records stated. “Once you’re in that setting, everyone’s there for the same reason, which is to learn. Age doesn’t really factor into that,” Thomas told Guinness. “I just focus on trying to do my job well and helping students in whatever way I can. If someone’s willing to put in the effort, that’s really all that matters to me,” he added. ‘There is someone special’ As an engineering instructor, Thomas teaches complex computing and programming concepts. His achievement has also earned praise from colleagues.Story continues below this ad “I’m proud to have him as part of our staff,” Manny Perez, Dean of the School of Engineering, Technology & Design at Miami Dade College, told The Reporter. “Anytime you have the opportunity to meet a person like Nathan, you realise that there is someone special… someone who can serve as an inspiration to our students.” Thomas’ academic journey began unusually early. He dual-enrolled at Miami Dade College at the age of 10 before transferring to Florida International University at 14. Over the next four years, he completed both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering with honours. Coming from a family of engineers, Thomas said his interest in STEM developed naturally. He credited his mother for nurturing his love of mathematics, saying she had a way of making difficult concepts feel simple. Now 21, Thomas continues to teach online while pursuing a Juris Doctor degree at the University of Miami School of Law, where he is expected to graduate in 2028.