Twitch & Alienware Scholarship awards $50,000 to accomplished student gamers

Today Twitch.tv announced the winners of theTwitch and Alienware Scholarship, awarding $50,000 among five accomplished student gamers based on their academic and gaming records.

The Twitch and Alienware Scholarship awarded $50,000 to five accomplished student gamers based on their academic and gaming records, live stream broadcasting network Twitch announced today.

The competition, in its inaugural year, was announced in June and sponsored by peripheral maker SteelSeries. Applicants were judged based on their grades, achievements in gaming, and dedication to professional gaming. Each winner was awarded a $10,000 scholarship:

• Kelli Dunlap, American School of Professional Psychology in Washington, D.C.: A Halo expert and PhD candidate writing her doctoral dissertation on the relationship between video games, mental health, and personality.
• Kevin Carlino, Arizona State University: A computer science major and fifteen-year veteran of Diablo, as well as host of Team Evil Geniuses' Diablo Daily.
• John Stockwell, Pennsylvania State University: A competitive Team Fortress 2 player majoring in computer science, aspiring to become a game developer.
• Antonio Revard, Michigan State University, Media Arts & Technology: A former professional Counter-Strike player who has become a popular user on Twitch and is currently studying video game design and development.
• Joey Yurgelon, University of Nevada, Las Vegas: An mechanical engineering major and an avid Starcraft and League of Legends player.

"Live video game streaming is gaining momentum quickly as evidenced by the traffic to Twitch as well as the increase in pro tournaments, partnerships, charity drives, developer showcases and sponsor interest," CEO Emmett Shear said in a press release. "The avid professional gaming and spectator community has helped us thrive with more than 20 million visitors a month, and this scholarship is our way of showing appreciation for their passion while reinforcing our commitment to what we view as a legitimate sport."

Twitch, formerly Twitch.tv, streams major tournaments, leagues, and developer sessions, as well as shows from gaming media and personal streams for both pro and amateur players.