Guildhall at SMU Students Receive $30,000 in Scholarships

Ten students enrolled in The Guildhall game development graduate program at Southern Methodist University were awarded a total of $30,000 in scholarships on behalf of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS), D3Publisher, and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) Foundation. The ESA Foundation's annual scholarship of $10,000 is awarded for academic excellence demonstrated by women and minorities pursuing a Master's degree at SMU. The biannual $10,000 AIAS Academy Scholar award recognizes the ability of incoming students to shape and advance the global interactive community. D3Publisher's $10,000 Shane Hensley Scholarship for Game Development Excellence is given to students who excel in academics. "We appreciate and commend these industry visionaries for acknowledging the importance of video game development education," said The Guildhall at SMU founder Dr. Peter Raad. "Their generosity is a direct investment in cultivating a new generation of leaders who will push the creative boundaries and shape the future of digital entertainment." SMU's scholarship recipients and their undergraduate schools are listed below: Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Scholar - Christopher McCrimmons, Springfield, MA, University of Massachusetts D3P Shane Hensley Scholarship for Game Development Excellence - Daniel Baker, Durham, NC, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University - Stewart Brown Waldorf, MD, University of Maryland - Joseph Bush, Sheboygan, WI, University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point - Josh Moretto, Palmyra, NJ, Cornell University - George Schmitt, Clarksburg, MD, University of Maryland - Morgan Wilson, Mercedes, TX, New York University ESA Foundation Computer and Videogame Scholarship Program - Shaylyn Hamm, Easton, PA, University of Pennsylvania - Shovaen Patel, Tampa, FL, Georgia Institute of Technology - Eva Tran, Round Rock, TX, University of Texas at Austin - Michael Wong, Garland, TX, University of Texas at Dallas