Da Suel Kim (current student, BFA Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects Department) was recently announced as one of only four winners of the 2011 Imageworks Professional Academic Excellence (IPAX) Sande Scoredos Memorial Scholarship. Named after one of the founders of the Sony Pictures IPAX professional development program, the scholarship grants $5,000 to each recipient.

BFA Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects Department Chair John McIntosh expressed pride in Da Suel’s accomplishment stating, “This is a great tribute to Sande Scoredos, and I can attest that Da Suel certainly deserves the distinction.”

The Sony Pictures IPAX professional development program, created in 2004, aims to “educate faculty and help structure curricula at leading academic institutions in an effort to develop future talent who will contribute to the overall growth of the visual effects and animation industry,” according to Imageworks’ Web site. A total of $50,000 in scholarships is awarded each year through IPAX.

Watch Da Suel Kim’s demo reel below.