The National Science & Maths Quiz (NSMQ) has long been a platform that unearths some of Ghana’s brightest young minds. The 2020 edition was no exception. That year, Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (PRESEC) reaffirmed their dominance in the competition by securing their sixth trophy. This victory was made possible by the brilliance of its team members –Daniel Kekeli Gakpetor, Benjamin Quansah Nketsiah and Isaac Kofi Gyamfi.
Facing off against Adisadel College and Opoku Ware School in a thrilling finale, PRESEC emerged victorious. Gakpetor, as team captain, led the charge to secure their place in NSMQ history.
Nearly five years after that triumph, Daniel Kekeli Gakpetor has moved on to new challenges and is making strides in the world of engineering and technology. As we gear up for the NSMQ Live Chat at 5pm, today, we will be catching up with Daniel to explore how his life has unfolded since that unforgettable victory.
Daniel is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Engineering at Dartmouth College, an Ivy League School, and is set to graduate in June 2026. His passion for technology has driven him to delve deep into programming, artificial intelligence and embedded systems.
At Dartmouth, Daniel has distinguished himself as an E.E JUST Foundation Fellow, an honour awarded to outstanding students in STEM fields. Beyond academics, he has been actively involved in research and teaching, gaining hands-on experience in reinforcement learning and large language models through his role as a Research Assistant at LISP Lab. His contributions include implementing machine learning algorithms to enhance robotic models under the Isaac Gym framework.
Daniel’s influence extends beyond research labs and classrooms. He has served as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for courses in programming and embedded systems at Dartmouth’s Computer Science Department and Thayer School of Engineering. These roles have allowed him to mentor and support fellow students, helping them grasp complex concepts in coding and system development.
Additionally, Daniel has not lost sight of his roots. In November 2023, he returned to Ghana as part of an internship with the Dartmouth Centre for Social Impact, where he worked with the Future Leaders Educational Empowerment Foundation (FLEEF). His role involved guiding underprivileged high school graduates through the university application process, ensuring that more Ghanaian students have access to higher education opportunities.
Beyond his academic and mentorship pursuits, Daniel is a well-rounded individual with a keen interest in sports, particularly football, basketball and Formula One.
As we prepare for the NSMQ Live Chat, we look forward to hearing first-hand from Daniel about his journey, his challenges, triumphs and the lessons he has learnt along the way.
Stay tuned as we dive into an interesting conversation with Daniel.
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