Quiz mistress for the Ghana National Science and Maths Quiz programme, Dr. Elsie Kaufmann has received the 2018 Golden Torch Award for International Academic leadership at the 44th Annual National Society of Black Engineers Conference.
The National Society of Black Engineers Conference was held from Wednesday, March 21st to Sunday, March 25th in Pittsburgh, USA.
Commenting on the award, Dr. Kaufmann said, “I feel incredibly honoured. It is also gratifying to know that the activities in which I have been involved are appreciated and beneficial to so many people. I am grateful for the opportunity to make an impactâ€.
Dr. Kaufmann, whose work is being recognized by the National Society of Black Engineers worldwide, is the first female recipient of the International Leadership Award.
However, this is not the first time a Ghanaian has received recognition from the worldwide fraternity of engineers.
In 2013, Prof. Samuel Yeboah Mensah, the then Dean of the School of Physical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, was adjudged the first male African recipient of the distinguished Academic Excellence Leadership Award for his massive contribution to science especially in the area of engineering by the National Society of Black Engineers at the 39th Convention in Indiana.
In 2014, Ing. Prof. Innocent Kofi Ampadu; Immediate past Provost, College of Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is the 2nd African to receive that same award.
Dr. Elsie Effah Kaufmann is a Senior Lecturer and founding Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ghana. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE), a Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering, all from the University of Pennsylvania, USA.
After her graduate studies, Dr. Kaufmann received her postdoctoral training at Rutgers University before joining the University of Ghana in 2001. She has been the Quiz mistress for the National Maths and Science Quiz since 2006.