History made as 18-year-old becomes youngest professor ever

Nathan Thomas has etched his name into the record books after becoming the youngest professor ever at the age of 18, taking over a record that had stood for more than three centuries.

According to an article published recently by the Guinness World Records (GWR), the American educator achieved the milestone when he returned to Miami Dade College as a lecturer at 18 years and 346 days old to teach COP 2270: C for Engineers in August 2023. His achievement ended the 306-year record previously held by Colin Maclaurin, who became a professor at 19.

Nathan was also 16 days younger than Alia Sabur when she became the world’s youngest female professor in 2008 at 18 years and 362 days.

Despite teaching students who were mostly around his own age, Nathan confidently handled computing and programming classes, covering topics he had mastered years earlier.

His journey into higher education began unusually early. He enrolled at Miami Dade College at just 10 years old before transferring to Florida International University at 14. By the age of 18, he had already earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering with honours.

“Once you’re in that setting, everyone’s there for the same reason, which is to learn,” Nathan told GWR. “Age doesn’t really factor into that.

“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.”

Nathan said his passion for learning started at an early age, with mathematics becoming the subject that fascinated him most. Growing up in a family of engineers also played a major role in shaping his interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

“[My mom] had a way of making things feel simple even when they weren’t, and I think some of that stuck with me more than I realized at the time,” he explained.

The young professor said one of the greatest rewards of teaching is witnessing students finally understand concepts they previously found difficult.

“Now, the part about teaching that I like most is watching something click for a student. You can kind of see it happen in real time, when a concept that felt impossible a few minutes ago suddenly makes sense.

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“It’s a different kind of satisfaction than solving a problem yourself, almost like getting to relive that feeling through someone else,” he continued. “Teaching something forces you to understand it on a whole other level – so I end up learning just as much from it as the students do, if not more.”

Nathan has continued to expand his academic pursuits beyond engineering. He is studying for a Juris Doctor degree at the University of Miami School of Law while also teaching online courses.

He is expected to complete his law degree in 2028 and hopes to build a career in intellectual property law with a focus on STEM-related issues.

“Engineering taught me how to break down complex problems in a structured way, and that’s carried over into how I approach law school now,” he told GWR.

Away from academia, Nathan enjoys an active lifestyle through basketball, tennis and golf. He also supports the Boston Celtics and New England Patriots, plays classical piano, and relaxes by listening to Drake as well as EDM and house music.

Although his accomplishments have attracted global attention, Nathan believes success should never be measured against another person’s timeline.

“Everyone’s path looks different, even if the goal looks similar from the outside,” he said. “It’s easy to fall into comparing your timeline to someone else’s, but really all that does is slow you down and get in your head.

“In my opinion, it’s better to figure out what actually works for you and stick with it, even when it feels slow. The results might not show up right away, but I truly believe they come with time if you keep showing up and putting in the work.”