At the age when most teenagers are preparing to begin university, Nathan Thomas from the United States had already earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering—and made history by becoming the world’s youngest male professor at just 18 years and 346 days old.
Nathan was appointed to teach “C for Engineers” at Miami Dade College, where many of his students were around the same age as he was. Despite his youth, he quickly earned respect for his expertise and ability to explain complex programming and engineering concepts.
His academic journey began remarkably early. Nathan enrolled at Miami Dade College through a dual-enrolment programme at the age of 10 before transferring to Florida International University at 14. By 18, he had completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees with honours.
According to Guinness World Records, Nathan’s appointment broke a 306-year-old record previously held by Scottish mathematician Colin Maclaurin, who became a professor at 19. Nathan was also younger than Alia Sabur, who became a university professor at 18 years and 362 days in 2008.
Now in his twenties, Nathan continues to teach online while pursuing a law degree, with plans to specialise in intellectual property law focused on science and technology. He has encouraged young people to avoid comparing themselves with others, stressing that persistence and consistent effort are more important than following someone else’s timeline.
