NSMQ mistress Prof. Kaufmann’s Son Finishes 2nd at US Math Competition
By ZED NEWSROOM
Augustus Kaufmann, son of renowned Ghanaian academic and National Science and Maths Quiz host Professor Elsie Effah Kaufmann, has placed second in a major mathematics competition in the United States.
Representing the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) Math Club, Kaufmann and teammates Nate Brown and Avi Chetlin competed in the Ohio section of the Mathematical Association of America’s annual Leo Schneider Student Team Competition. The trio solved eight out of ten problems, missing first place by just one point.
The contest, held during the Ohio Section Spring Meeting of the MAA, is a prestigious annual event where groups of three undergraduates tackle ten challenging mathematics problems. The questions cover topics such as calculus and linear algebra, drawn from the standard undergraduate curriculum. Students must provide both calculations and detailed explanations, without the use of calculators or computers.
The competition honours Leo Schneider, a mathematician closely linked to CWRU. Schneider earned his PhD from the university and later taught mathematics and computer science at John Carroll University, where he served as president of the Ohio Section of the MAA.
Beyond competitions, Kaufmann is an active member of the CWRU mathematics community. He serves as risk manager on the Math Club’s leadership team. This is not his first notable achievement. In a previous undergraduate mathematics contest, Kaufmann’s team scored 21 out of 90 points, placing second among Ohio teams and tying with John Carroll University. Cleveland State University took first place in that event.
For Ghanaians, the Kaufmann name carries significant weight. Augustus’s mother, Professor Elsie Effah Kaufmann, is one of Ghana’s most celebrated academics. A pioneering biomedical engineer and academic administrator, she has been the host of the National Science and Maths Quiz since 2006, becoming a household name in Ghana.
Professor Kaufmann holds a PhD, MSE, and BSE cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania.
Before joining the University of Ghana in 2001, she completed postdoctoral research at Rutgers University, where she worked as a supervisor in the Department of Chemistry.
Augustus Kaufmann’s success in the U.S. highlights both his personal talent and the strong academic tradition of his family. His near victory at the Leo Schneider Competition adds to a growing list of achievements and reinforces Ghana’s reputation for producing world class scholars in science and mathematics.
