Her appointment will take effect on August 1, 2022.
The mission of the School of Engineering Sciences is to serve the country (Ghana) and the world by graduating highly talented and broadly educated engineers, conducting cutting-edge multi-disciplinary research in engineering, building partnerships with industries and engaging in technology transfer from basic research.
Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann is an Associate Professor 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 PhD in Bioengineering, all from the University of Pennsylvania, USA. After her graduate studies she received her postdoctoral training at Rutgers University (USA), before joining the University of Ghana in 2001.
Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann began her teaching career with the University of Ghana in 2001. She initially joined the Department of Physics, where she taught undergraduate courses and also supported teaching in the Dental School and the then newly formed Department of Physiotherapy. Incidentally, she was the first female to be appointed full-time to the Department of Physics.
First Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering
During the period between 2001 and 2006 she was a member of the committees that prepared proposals for the establishment of the Departments of Physiotherapy, Radiography, Audiology and Medical Physics. In 2001 she was nominated to serve on the planning committee set up by the Academic Board of the University to make proposals for establishing the then Faculty of Engineering Sciences, now the School of Engineering Sciences. She was appointed as the first Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering in 2006 and served as Head for a number of years (2006-2012, 2014-2016). In 2010 she was elected to represent non-professorial academic staff on the highest decision-making body of the University of Ghana, the University Council, a position she held for four years. In 2011 Prof. Effah Kaufmann was a winner of the prestigious International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation Fellowship.
Teaching and research
Prof. Effah Kaufmann’s teaching and research are focused on tissue engineering, biomaterials, design of scaffolds for tissue engineering applications, characterization of natural materials and the application of biomedical engineering concepts to the solution of problems in the Ghanaian context. She has also published in Engineering Education. In spite of her heavy administrative and teaching responsibilities, she has consistently developed and cultivated a reputation for service at the University and at National and International levels as indicated by her service on numerous committees. She is currently a member of the University of Ghana Centre for Ageing Studies.
Awards
Prof. Kaufmann has received numerous local and international awards. She was the recipient of the University of Ghana’s Best Teacher Award for the Sciences in 2009. She is also keenly interested in Science education at all levels and has been the Host/ Quiz Mistress of the Ghana National Science & Mathematics Quiz TV Programme since 2006. Prof. Effah Kaufmann is the 2017 Impact Africa Summit Laureate for Education in Ghana. The award recognises her “exceptional and continuous contribution to science education in Ghana and for being a role model and inspiration to many young girls, activities which are vital to achieving Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 5”. She is also the recipient of the National Society of Black Engineers’ 2018 Golden Torch 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 Math (STEM) fields.
Boards
She is a member of the Scientific Programmes Committee of the Next Einstein Forum and a member of the Ghana National Committee of the United World Colleges. She sits on numerous Boards.
Prof. Effah Kaufmann is a Board member of the African Gifted Foundation Ghana (African Science Academy) and the British International School-Ghana. She is the current President of the Ghana Society of Biomedical Engineers.
