14 Things You Probably Do Not Know About Dr. Elsie Effah-Kaufmann – Quiz Mistress Of NSMQ

We are all enthused about the show of knowledge and the in-depth analysis of scientific and mathematical problems exhibited at the National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ).

Although we all may not have attended glamorous schools who make us proud at the NSMQ stage, we, in one way or the other, share in the joy and pride of the moments.

The trolls, bragging rights and all the shenanigans that characterize the whole NSMQ event is very much admirable. However, we always seem to forget the woman behind the question, whose efforts brings the intelligence of these students to bear.

Dr Elsie-Effah-Kaufmann is the longest-serving quiz mistress of the NSMQ; she has been hosting it since 2006 and has indeed carried herself about with much admiration, knowledge and finesse.

In this edition, we bring you probably 14 things you may not have heard or read about Elsie Effah-Kaufmann which will surely serve as a great source of education to you.

1. Elsie Effah Kaufmann is a Ghanaian academic, biomedical engineer and quiz mistress for the National Science and Maths Quiz
2. Before Elsie Kaufmann started hosting the show in 2006, Marian Ewurama Addy was the quiz mistress from 1993 to 2000 and Eureka Emefa Adomako from 2001 to 2005.
3. Kaufmann had her secondary education at the Aburi Girls’ Senior High School.
4.  She obtained her International Baccalaureate Diploma from United World College of the Atlantic in Wales in 1988.
5. She proceeded to the University of Pennsylvania for her Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE), a Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) and PhD in Biomedical Engineering.
6. Kaufmann was a Research Supervisor at the Department of Chemistry at Rutgers University in New Jersey, the United States of America from May 1998 to June 2001; after being a Teaching Assistant at the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, United States of America.
7. She was also a Senior Lecturer and the first Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ghana (2006–2012, 2014–2016).
8. Kaufmann was a Fellow of the International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation. She was awarded in 2009, as the University of Ghana’s Best Teacher Award for the Sciences.
9. She received the International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation Fellowship in 2011 and the 2017 Impact Africa Summit Laureate for Education in Ghana.
10. She is also the first female recipient of the 2018 Golden Torch Award for International Academic Leadership by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) at the 44th Annual Conference held in the United States of America.
11. She is also the recipient of the National Society of Black Engineers’ 2018 Golden T.O.R.C.H. (Technical OutReach and Community Help) Award for International Academic Leadership in recognition of her excellence in support of academics on an international level and exhibition of commitment to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
12. Dr Effah Kaufmann is a Board member of the African Gifted Foundation Ghana (African Science Academy) and the British International School-Ghana.
13. She is the current President of the Ghana Society of Biomedical Engineers.
14. Her teaching and research focus on Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials and Application of Biomedical Engineering concepts to the solution of problems in the Ghanaian context.