Levitin, Urquhart and Martlets score

L.A. Times honours Levitin

McGill psychology professor Dan Levitin’s recent book “This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession” has been named a finalist for the 2006 L.A. Times Book Prizes. An accessible synthesis of Levitin’s expertise in both neuroscience and music, the internationally best-selling work has drawn resounding critical applause and considerable media exposure, including a prominent feature in the New York Times in January. The L.A. Times Book Prize winners will be announced on April 27 at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

Sports, smarts and a lot of heart: Urquhart honoured

Redmen hockey star and U3 Management (Commerce) student David Urquhart has been named an Ontario University Athletics East Conference first-team all-star as well as conference nominee for the Randy Gregg trophy, a national award that goes to the player who best combines hockey with academics and citizenship. Now a two-time conference all-star, he is also an Academic All-Canadian. The six-foot defenceman has been involved in such philanthropic endeavours as the McGill Skate-a-thon for Alzheimer’s Research, the Montreal Gazette’s Raise a Reader Day, the Centraide March of 1000 Umbrellas and the Montreal-based community outreach organization Santropol Roulant.

Awards aplenty for top-ranked Martlets

In the midst of an astonishingly successful season, six members of the women’s hockey team won major accolades from the Quebec Students Sports Federation on March 6. The hockey Martlets captured four of a possible six first-team all-star positions, garnered a second-team all-star spot and captured all four major awards. Forward Vanessa Davidson (Physical Education U2) was voted Player of the Year while defender Catherine Ward (Management U1) took Rookie of the Year laurels. In addition to a second-team all-star nomination, team captain Shauna Denis (Management U4) won the CIS Marion Hilliard award for exceptional achievement as a player, student and community member. And Coach Peter Smith, who guided the Martlets to their best season since the team’s founding in 1896, won Coach of the Year honours. Joining Davidson and Ward on the first-team all-star squad were forward Christine Hartnoll (Kinesiology U4) and goaltender Charline Labonté (Physical Education U1). The Martlets enter the Canadian championships, to be held at the University of Ottawa, March 16-19, as the top-seeded participant.