Florida teen becomes world's youngest professor at 18
A Florida teen becomes world039s youngest college professor after Guinness World Records confirmed Nathan Thomas began teaching at Miami Dade College at 18 years and 346 days old in August 2023, beating a male record held for 306 years and edging past the female mark by 16 days.
Key Takeaways
- Nathan Thomas was 18 years and 346 days old when he started teaching at Miami Dade College in August 2023.
- Guinness World Records named him the youngest male professor ever, ending Colin Maclaurin's 306-year hold on the title.
- He was 16 days younger than Alia Sabur, who set the youngest female professor mark in 2008.
- Thomas dual-enrolled at 10, earned a master's in electrical engineering by 18, and is now in law school.
Who is the Florida teen behind the record?
Nathan Thomas is an engineering prodigy from Florida who started college at age 10. He dual-enrolled at Miami Dade College, then transferred to Florida International University at 14.
By 18, he had earned a master's degree in electrical engineering. That same year he began teaching at Miami Dade College, the school where his college journey began.
Guinness now lists him as 21. For more odd Florida headlines, browse our Bizarre News & Florida Man hub.
How did he become the world's youngest professor?
According to UPI, Guinness World Records confirmed Thomas was 18 years and 346 days old when he started teaching in August 2023.
That age made him the youngest professor (male) ever. The previous male record belonged to Colin Maclaurin, who became a professor at 19 and held the mark for 306 years.
Thomas was also 16 days younger than Alia Sabur when she claimed the youngest professor (female) title in 2008, at 18 years and 362 days. Guinness details the recognition in its own report on the youngest professor ever.
What is Nathan Thomas doing now?
Thomas is teaching online courses while pursuing a juris doctor at the University of Miami School of Law. He is expected to graduate in 2028.
He said he plans to work in intellectual property law, with a focus on STEM. "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 Guinness World Records.
The story sits at the quirky edge of academia and Florida fame: a teen who outpaced centuries of scholarly history, then kept pushing into law while still teaching.