Quiz mistresses have played a pivotal role in the success of the National Science and Maths Quiz from its inception in 1994.
Being the personalities at the centre stage vested with the authority to officiate the contests fairly and without bias, their role cannot be overemphasized.
By and large, these umpires have lived up to expectations, and have steered the contests to the admiration and satisfaction of all.
Below then are the three main quiz mistresses of the NSMQ:
Prof Marian Ewurama-Addy(1993-2000):
Marian Ewurama Addy FGA OV (née Cole; 7 February 1942 – 14 January 2014) was a Ghanaian biochemist and the first Host of the National Science and Maths Quiz.
The first Ghanaian woman to attain the rank of full professor of natural science, Addy became a role model for school girls and budding female scientists on the limitless opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
Marian Addy was also a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, elected in 1999. In the same year, she was awarded the UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science.
She was educated at St Monica’s Secondary School in Mampong-Ashanti from January 1956 to June 1960 where she excelled in sports and obtained her ‘O’ and ‘A’ level certificates.
She also attended the Holy Child Girls’ School in Cape Coast. She earned her bachelor’s degree with first-class honours in botany with chemistry from the University of Ghana, Legon.
She later obtained a master’s degree and a doctorate in biochemistry from the Pennsylvania State University.
She was Head of the Department for Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology from 1988-1991 and 1994-1997.
Addy retired in 2002 as a Professor of Biochemistry.
Dr. Eureka Emefa Adomako(2001-2005)
Eureka Emefa Adomako, a botanist at the University of Ghana, Legon, took over as quiz-mistress from 2001 to 2005, having been recommended by Prof. Addy. Dr. Adomako took charge of the programme until she had to leave for postgraduate studies. Before leaving, just as Prof. Addy recommended her as quiz mistress, Dr. Adomako recommended that Dr. Kaufmann take over as quiz mistress.
Dr. Eureka Adomako holds a Master of Philosophy degree in Environment and Development from the University of Cambridge (January 1997), a Master of Philosophy degree in Botany from the University of Ghana (December 1999) and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Plant Science from the University of Aberdeen (November 2008).
She has the enviable reputation of being a three-time Commonwealth Scholar with the following awards: ODA Cambridge-Commonwealth Scholarship (October 1995 – August 1996), Commonwealth Academic Staff Scholarship (October 2005 – September 2008) and Commonwealth Academic Fellowship for Post-Doctoral Studies (October 2010 – April 2011).
She was also appointed as an Honorary Research Fellow of the School of Biological Sciences (University of Aberdeen) for the duration of her post-doctoral fellowship.
Upon joining the Faculty of the University of Ghana in 2003, Dr. (Mrs.) Adomako was assigned as Fellow of Volta Hall and has since been an active member of the Hall’s Senior Common Room. She has held several positions of responsibility such as Sports Tutor (2012-2014), President of the Senior Common Room (2011 – 2014) and Senior Tutor (2014 – 2018).
As Senior Tutor, she was a Member of the Hall Council, a Member of the Management Board and Chairperson of the Tutorial Board.
Other capacities in which she serves the wider University community include Member of Academic Board, Member of Residence Board, Chairperson of the Committee on Students’ Online Residential Registration, Academic Advisor and Member of the Graduate Committee of the Department of Plant and Environmental Biology.
Dr. Elsie Effah- Kauffman(2006 till date)
Elsie Effah Kaufmann is a Ghanaian academic, biomedical engineer and quiz mistress for the National Science and Maths Quiz. 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. In December 2020, Elsie Kaufmann was appointed a professor at the University of Ghana.
Kaufmann had her secondary education at the Aburi Girls’ Senior High School. She obtained her International Baccalaureate Diploma from United World College of the Atlantic in Wales in 1988. 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.
She was also a Senior Lecturer and the first Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ghana (2006–2012, 2014–2016).
Source: TheBBCghana.Com
