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The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Announces Winners of Four Scholarships

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has revealed the winners for their annual scholarship programs. The four recipients are Ji “Atlas” Chen (New York University), Erin Loelius (California Institute of the Arts), Sarah Conde (Kennesaw State University) and Raymond Tan (Ohio State University) who will get a total of $10,000 with $2,500 going to each student from the Randy Pausch and Mark Beaumont scholarship funds.

From the Press Release
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), the professional video games organization advancing the artistic values of the interactive entertainment community, has announced the winners for its annual scholarship programs. Four recipients – Ji “Atlas” Chen (New York University), Erin Loelius (California Institute of the Arts), Sarah Conde (Kennesaw State University) and Raymond Tan (Ohio State University) -- will receive a total of $10,000 ($2,500 to each recipient) through the Randy Pausch and Mark Beaumont scholarship funds. The scholarships are awarded by the AIAS Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the organization.

"The Mark Beaumont and Randy Pausch Scholarships seek to encourage and support a diverse mix of students pursuing games industry careers; students who will help build this young art form in ways we can only imagine today,” said Don Daglow, president and creative director at Daglow Entertainment and president of the AIAS Foundation. “Ji Chen, Sarah Conde, Erin Loelius and Raymond Tan represent a fantastic range of perspectives and special talents, and the Foundation is proud to recognize and back them in their studies."

 “Our scholarship winners are an incredibly diverse mix of talents with pursuits ranging from art to engineering and design to journalism and business,” said Martin Rae, president, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. “It is truly inspiring to see what these students have already accomplished using their smarts and creativity. These four individuals embody the spirit of Randy Pausch and Mark Beaumont that we celebrate with our scholarships. Congratulations to our 2013 scholars!”

 The Randy Pausch Scholarship was established by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences in 2008 to honor the memory of Computer Science Professor and Co-Founder of the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University, Dr. Randy Pausch. The scholarship has been established to support students who are pursuing careers specializing in the development of interactive entertainment. Ji “Atlas” Chen and Erin Loelius are this year’s recipients of Randy Pausch Scholarships.

 “Thanks very much to the Randy Pausch scholarship committee,” said Ji Chen, a New York University MFA candidate studying Game Design. “It is such a warm welcome from the game industry to a humble student from China trying to find his place in this new land.”

 "I am so thankful to the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences for supporting artists in their pursuit to further the digital art world,” said Erin Loelius, a CalArts student studying Character Animation. “Randy Pausch is such an inspirational figure in digital media and it's a great honor to be awarded on his behalf. I intend to prove I'm a rightful candidate with the work I produce this year at CalArts, which thanks to them, I am able to put not just my time into but all of my heart and energy."

 The Mark Beaumont Scholarship was established by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences in 2010 to honor the memory of COO of Capcom North America and Europe, Mark Beaumont. This scholarship has been established to support students who are pursuing careers specializing in the business of interactive entertainment. Sarah Conde and Raymond Tan are this year’s recipients of Mark Beaumont Scholarships.

 "I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences,” said Sarah Conde, a Kennesaw State University graduate student studying Global Integrated Communication. “I am confident that the Mark Beaumont Scholarship will enable me to pursue my research interests and positively contribute to the video game industry. While the world of interactive entertainment is becoming more and more diverse each day, there is still a great deal of work to do. Women deserve to have a voice in games, and now I feel ready to truly use mine."

 “I am very grateful for the opportunities and support I have received throughout my life and in my college career; as I enter my last year of college, I do so with a clarity of mind and a knowledge of the impact I have had on the interactive media industry and the impact my generation stands to make,” said Raymond Tan, a Ohio State University undergraduate student studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Entrepreneurship. “It is an honor and a privilege to have been selected as a Mark Beaumont scholar and this scholarship is a testament to this industry’s commitment to paying it forward and investing in tomorrow’s leaders.”

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