Crystal Ivie, adjunct faculty in the Genetic Counseling Program, is dedicated to transforming how students can learn about the fascinating world of embryology through her unique undergraduate course which is designed for both accessibility and engagement.
Putting it simply, embryology explores how life begins and develops, focusing in depth on the genetic and cellular processes that go into shaping embryos into fully formed organisms, human or other.
“Embryology helps us understand how chromosomes and genes guide development,” Ivie said. “It’s about learning what can go right and also what can go wrong, leading to genetic disorders.”
This course isn’t just an online lecture class. Ivie emphasizes collaborative learning between the students and assigning projects to be completed together.
“Students thrive in this setup because they support and learn from each other,” Ivie said. “My role as an instructor becomes providing thoughtful, detailed feedback and fostering deeper understanding.”
Students agree and have praised the course in evaluations: “Even though we were online, I was able to communicate with classmates so much more than I would have for an in-person course,” one said. “Professor Ivey was so amazing and you could just see how passionate she was about the subject matter.”
Nathan Mitnick, who took Ivie’s class in the fall of 2024 and is now a first year student in the Genetic Counseling Professional Science Master’s Degree Program at the University of Connecticut attests to this.
“From this course, the biggest thing I’d say I’ve acquired, besides knowledge, is perspective,” Mitnick said. “Crystal does a great job of inspiring her students to go out in the world to make a positive impact, whether they are interested in genetic counseling or another field.”
Sam Poehlman also took Ivie’s course in the fall of 2024 and was recently accepted into the Genetic Counseling Masters program at Boise State. Poehlman enjoyed many aspects of the course.
“I absolutely loved this course. The teaching format really worked well for the way my brain processes information,” Poehlman said. “Being able to do the readings and then watch Professor Ivie’s lectures at my own pace made a big difference. Honestly, I’m seriously considering focusing on embryology now, simply because of how interesting and mysterious the field is. All in all, this was an amazing course—more people should definitely take it.”
Office hours aren’t recommended, they are in fact, required. Ivie believes in the importance of her students seeing their professor be genuinely invested in their success. These interactions help students grasp complex subjects such as genetic regulation and embryonic development processes.
Beyond science majors, Ivie highlights that this embryology course is beneficial to anyone pursuing careers in healthcare, genetic counseling, anthropology or ethics. It equips students to handle complex conversations, an extremely useful life skill.
Ivie encourages students of all backgrounds to consider enrolling, pointing out that no prior specialized knowledge is required. “I structure the course so everyone can succeed,” she said. With a seven-week commitment, students are able to gain valuable insights that can resonate across many professional fields. The course is offered in the summer and fall.