You may or may not know that Capcom COO Mark Beaumont passed away suddenly on February 23, 2010. The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has chosen to to honor his memory through a new scholarship that awards $2,500 per year to four students in pursuit of careers in interactive entertainment.

Beaumont had been at Capcom since 2005, serving as both senior vice president and executive vice president before being promoted in April 2008 to the role of COO. He also served on Capcom’s Board of Directors. Prior to that, he served as executive vice president of publishing at Midway Games, worked as Time Warner Interactive’s executive vice president of publishing for 2 years, and spent five years as a general manager at Activision. His first jobs included working for Data East, Mindscape, Psygnosis, and Atari.

On why they chose to establish a scholarship in his name, Joseph Olin, the president of AIAS, said, “Mark Beaumont exemplified the qualities that define success within the world of interactive entertainment. The Academy Foundation believes that encouraging young adults to pursue careers within the business of interactive entertainment is the most fitting way to honor Mark and his accomplishments.”

The scholarship committee includes AIAS board members Rich Hilleman (Electronic Arts), Don Daglow (Interactive Entertainment), and Mike Capps (Epic Games), with the University of Southern California’s Chris Swain and Carnegie Mellon’s Jesse Schell to select scholarship recipients.

To apply for the Mark Beaumont Scholarship, fill out the application located here.