This, according to her was after moderating 76 quizzes in the annual prestigious competition in a single year.

The Biomedical Scientist revealed this in an interview with Accra-based Starr FM but was silent on the exact year this happened.

Prof Kaufmann said her situation led to the introduction of new quiz mistresses who are now in charge of the early stages of the competition.

“The largest number of contests I have done in a year is 76. It nearly killed me, I was ill in the middle of that programme and it was the year after that, that other quiz mistresses joined,” she stated.

She made the disclosure when asked whether she felt pressured and had plans to quit after her long years of service.

“I have thought about it as my responsibilities have increased now. I am now a Dean, it is a good thing I only do thirteen contests in a year now,” she added.

Meanwhile, she dismissed claims of being bias towards certain schools in the competition following the fall out of the 2023 edition.

Prof Kaufmann emphasised that, she values her reputation and will not trade that for anything.

“I don’t take sides, I have no interest in any school. I don’t know the contestants from anywhere.

I am not interested in any school, when I get there, I am there to do a professional job. This is why you must be careful about slandering someone, because without that reputation for fairness, I would not have lasted this long. If you like me to resign today, I would do so,” she noted.

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Others never knew about her marital status because everything they have known about her is the NSMQ, which she has been moderating for more than a decade now.

In the latest interview on the Delay Show, Prof Elsie Kaufmann shared her life stories and opened up about the likelihood of a second marriage.

The academic said she may marry again if she finds the right person, saying it in a not-so-sure manner.

“I am not married. I used to be married [but] not anymore. It depends; if I find the right person, maybe [I will marry],” she stated.

In an excerpt of the interview, she noted that she does not have enough time to mould any person or make someone the way she wants him.

“Do I have time?” she retorted when the host quizzed her about it.

She has three children with her first husband.

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Prof Kaufmann was recently named as one of ‘The many faces of physics’ by IOP Publishing. This society-owned scientific publisher provides impact, recognition and value for the scientific community.

Mostly known for her role as the principal quiz mistress for the NSMQ, Prof Kaufmann is the current Dean of the School of Engineering, University of Ghana; and a Visiting Scholar at the Orthotics and Prosthetics Department of the University of Health and Allied Sciences.

She had her secondary education at the Aburi Girls Senior High School and obtained her International Baccalaureate Diploma from United World College of the Atlantic in Wales in 1988.

She later proceeded to the University of Pennsylvania for her Bachelor of Science in Engineering, a Master of Science in Engineering and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering.