Nathan Thomas, a Florida resident, has officially become the world's youngest professor, breaking a record that had stood for 306 years. Thomas achieved this distinction in August 2023 when he began teaching engineering courses at Miami Dade College at the age of 18 years and 346 days.

This achievement earned him a Guinness World Record, recognizing him as the youngest male professor. The previous record holder was Colin Maclaurin, who became a mathematics professor at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland in 1717 at the age of 19. Thomas also surpassed the record for the youngest overall professor, male or female, by 16 days, exceeding Alia Sabur's previous record. Sabur became the youngest professor in February 2008 at age 18 and 362 days, taking a position at South Korea's Konkuk University.

Thomas, who is now 21, expressed that he is unfazed by the prospect of teaching students older than himself. "Once you're in that setting, everyone's there for the same reason, which is to learn," Thomas told Guinness. "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."

Thomas's academic aptitude was evident from a young age. He reportedly achieved a perfect score on his kindergarten readiness test in 2010. His mother, Rani, recalled him reading books at Thomas Jefferson's home in Charlottesville, Virginia. He was also Miami Dade College's youngest student, earning an associate degree in mathematics at age 14.

He recounted an early experience in college where a professor initially mistook his mother for a fellow student. "[On my] first day of class for college algebra... my mom got me outside the class, and [my professor] thought that my mom was a student," Thomas said. "[The teacher] was like, ‘You can bring your son in as long as he’s quiet.’ My mom had to explain to her, ‘No, no, he’s a student.’"

Thomas, whose parents are engineers, began his teaching role at Miami Dade College shortly after earning bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering from Florida International University. He stated, "I always thought about coming back and teaching one day. But when I said one day, I thought I meant when I was older. Like a lot older."

He finds particular satisfaction in witnessing students grasp difficult concepts. "The part about teaching that I like most is watching something click for a student," he explained. "You can kind of see it happen in real time, when a concept that felt impossible a few minutes ago suddenly makes sense."

Currently, Thomas is teaching online courses while pursuing a law degree at the University of Miami School of Law, with an expected graduation in 2028. He noted that his engineering background has informed his approach to legal studies, stating, "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."