Alumni Spotlight
Heather Blackmon (MS 2002)
Clinical Embryologist, Carolina Conceptions
As the supervisor of an in-vitro fertilization lab, Blackmon says her favorite part of the job is “holding an eight-cell embryo in my arms nine months later.” The ’02 M.S. Animal Science graduate learned IVF techniques from Institute animal reproduction specialists Drs. Lannett Edwards and Neal Schrick while supporting herself with an off-campus job and keeping up with her studies. Today she remains involved in animal agriculture. “I do a lot of cattle work. Every opportunity I get I go play with the cows. Cattle are definitely my first love and sometimes a lot easier to work with than the ladies. I often joke around in my job that I wish I had a stock chute.”