The National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) has reached a significant milestone, celebrating its 30th anniversary. The much-anticipated grand finale of this prestigious competition is scheduled for the afternoon of Monday, October 30, 2023.
The event will be graced by the presence of the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who is expected to be the guest of honor.
The stage is set for an exhilarating face-off as the finalists, namely Opoku Ware Senior High School (OWASS), Presbyterian Boys Senior High (PRESEC-Legon), and Achimota Senior High School (MOTOWN), prepare to battle it out. This showdown promises to be one of the most thrilling finals in the history of this annual competition. Yet, when the spotlight isn’t on the competing schools, the other cherished aspect of the NSMQ is the quiz mistresses.
In this feature, GhanaWeb sheds light on the quiz mistresses who have graced Ghanaian television screens over the past three decades, contributing significantly to the NSMQ’s success and popularity.
Prof. Marian Ewurama Addy, 1993-2000
The first quiz mistress of the NSMQ was the late Prof. Marian Ewurama Addy, who held that position from 1993 until 2000.
She was also the first Ghanaian woman to become a full professor of natural science.
In her memoir, Rewards: An Autobiography, she said “When in 1993/94, during the planning of a televised quiz programme on science, I was asked to be the Quiz Mistress, I could not say No…
“I was interested in females becoming scientists and this was an opportunity to invite the young ones to become scientists… I thought that this was a most effective way of being a role model.”
Prof. Marian Addy received the 1995 Marketing Woman of the Year award from the Chartered Institute of Marketing in recognition of her work encouraging female students to pursue science and math education through the NSMQ.
On January 14, 2014, however, Prof. Marian Ewurama Addy passed away at the age of 72.
Dr. Eureka Emefa Adomako, 2001-2005
Dr. Eureka Emefa Adomako, an alumna of St. Roses Secondary School and a trained botanist, succeeded Prof. Marian Addy as the second quiz mistress.
Currently serving as a senior lecturer in the Department of Plant and Environmental Biology at the University of Ghana-Legon, Dr. Eureka took the reins of the National Science and Maths Quiz for a tenure of four years, spanning from 2001 to 2005. She assumed this role upon the recommendation of the late former quiz mistress, Prof. Marian Addy.
Her departure from the National Science and Maths Quiz scene occurred when she was granted a Commonwealth Academic Staff Scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in the United Kingdom, specifically at the University of Aberdeen, in 2005. Her academic journey culminated in November 2008, when she achieved a Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science.
Prof Elsie Effah Kaufmann, 2006-date
The National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) is currently under the competent leadership of Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann, marking the third quiz mistress in the competition’s history.
Prof. Kaufmann holds the prestigious position of Dean of the School of Engineering Sciences at the University of Ghana-Legon, a remarkable achievement that distinguishes her as the first Ghanaian woman to attain this honor.
She has earned the distinction of being the longest-serving quiz mistress in the history of NSMQ since its inception in 1993. Her appointment came after she was recommended by her predecessor, Dr. Eureka Emefa, who was stepping down from her role as an NSMQ mistress.
For a remarkable 17 years, spanning from 2006 to 2023, Prof. Elsie Kaufmann has demonstrated exceptional proficiency in managing the National Science and Maths Quiz. Her tenure has witnessed a remarkable surge in interest and support from numerous Ghanaians, making her a pivotal figure in the competition’s history.