GWR: 18-Year-Old Becomes Youngest Professor Ever, Breaks 306-Year-Old World Record
- Guinness World Records confirmed Nathan Thomas of the USA has claimed the title of youngest professor, a record that had stood for over three centuries
- Thomas returned to Miami-Dade College as a faculty member at just 18 years and 346 days old, having already earned two Honours degrees in Electrical Engineering
- The American academic was also 16 days younger than Alia Sabur, who set the equivalent female record in 2008
An American academic has broken one of the longest-standing records in Guinness World Records history, becoming the youngest professor ever after unseating a title that had gone unchallenged for 306 years.
Guinness World Records confirmed on 27 July 2026 that Nathan Thomas of the United States now holds the record for the youngest professor (male), having taken up a faculty position at Miami-Dade College's Kendall Campus in Florida at the age of 18 years and 346 days.
Source: Getty Images
A record held since the 17th century
The previous holder was Scottish mathematician Colin Maclaurin, who was 19 years old when he was appointed professor at Marischal College, Aberdeen, in 1717. That record had remained intact for more than three centuries before Thomas's appointment rendered it obsolete.
Thomas's academic journey began far earlier than most. He enrolled at Miami-Dade College as a dual-enrolled student at the age of 10, before transferring to Florida International University at 14.
By the time he turned 18, an age at which most students are only beginning undergraduate studies, he had already completed both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, each obtained with Honours.
His return to Miami-Dade College, this time as a member of the teaching staff, marks the completion of a trajectory that placed him in the same institution where his academic life first began.
Eclipsing the female record too
Thomas's record-breaking appointment also places him just ahead of Alia Sabur, who set the equivalent record for the youngest professor (female) in 2008.
Sabur was 18 years and 362 days old when she achieved her title, making Thomas 16 days younger at the point of his own appointment.
A research poster visible in the Guinness World Records announcement shows Thomas listed as a co-author alongside Daniel Cabanes and Luis Saumell, Ph.D., on a study titled "Modeling Nonlinear Differential Equations from Chemical K..." at the Kendall Campus, indicating active research engagement alongside his teaching responsibilities.
Miami-Dade College's youngest faculty member
As a qualified teacher and now a formally recognised faculty member, Thomas's appointment reflects both his academic accomplishment and the institutional recognition of his readiness for the role.
His is a record that, given the circumstances required to break it, may prove equally durable.
Below is the Facebook post from Guinness World Records:
Kasoa pupils set Guinness World Records
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Guinness World Records (GWR) officially recognised three basic school students from Kasoa in Ghana’s Central Region for their remarkable achievement.
The students were trained by the Sophia Boadi Readathon International Foundation (SBRIF) under the supervision of its Executive Director, Sophia Boadi.
The three record holders are Selorm Kordzo Junior Dzakah, Isaac K. Boadi Atuah and George K. Kwateng Boadi.
Source: YEN.com.gh
