Professor Elsie Effah Kaufmann real name Elsie Akosua Biraa Effah Kaufmann is a renowned Biomedical Engineer, a Senior Lecturer and the Dean of the School of Engineering Sciences at the University of Ghana, Legon.

She was born in Assin in the Central Region of Ghana, on 7 September 1969.

Educational Background

Professor Kaufmann had her basic education in the same town.

She proceeded to have her secondary education in Aburi Girls before getting a scholarship to study in Wales where she got an International Baccalaureate Diploma at the United World College (UWC) of the Atlantic in 1988.

She later earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering (BSE) from the University of Pennsylvania.

After graduation, she decided to continue her education at the same university to earn a master’s degree in engineering. Despite receiving her master’s degree from the university, she stayed behind to pursue her PhD.

Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann worked as a Teaching Assistant at the Department of Biomedical Engineering while studying for her doctorate.

Before joining the University of Ghana in 2001, Prof. Elsie completed postdoctoral study at Rutgers University in the United States, where she worked as a research supervisor in the Department of Chemistry.

Her role as an NSMQ Quiz Mistress

Professor Elsie Effah Kaufmann started hosting the National Science & Maths Quiz in 2006 and has managed to make the show one of the most-watched educational contests in the country.

She has been hosting the Quiz competition for some time now where she takes over from other quiz mistresses from the quarter-final of the contest up until the final.

Kauffmann’s engaging presence on the NSMQ has made her a beloved figure in Ghana, where she encourages students to excel in science and mathematics. Her passion for education extends beyond the quiz

Professional Career

Elsie Effah Kauffmann has had a distinguished academic career. From May 1998 to June 2001, she was a research supervisor in the Department of Chemistry at Rutgers University. She also worked as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania.

At the University of Ghana, she was a Senior Lecturer and the first Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering from 2006 to 2012 and again from 2014 to 2016. Currently, she is a visiting scholar and Founding Head of the Department of Orthotics and Prosthetics at the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho, Ghana. Additionally, she is a University Council Member at Ghana Communication Technology University and serves on the boards of the African Gifted Foundation Ghana and the British International School-Ghana.

On August 1, 2022, she became the first woman appointed dean of the School of Engineering Sciences at the University of Ghana, contributing to its establishment. She is also the President of the Ghana Society of Biomedical Engineers.

Marriage life

Kaufmann is divorced and has three children: two females and a male named Augustus Kofi Effah Kaufmann.