<p>The rapid emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in both society and higher education has sparked excitement as well as concern. Just as the advent and widespread use of the Internet fundamentally changed the relationship students, faculty, and indeed everyone had with information and data (for good and bad), GenAI promises to adjust the approach of thinking; we believe it is higher-education’s challenge to embrace and leverage these new approaches to thinking to deepen, enhance, and improve the educational experience for the student. This study investigates how undergraduate students in an introductory astronomy course at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) used GenAI tools to explore and simplify complex astronomy concepts. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative and qualitative data from 139 student responses. Data collection included two surveys, analysis of class discussions, and evaluation of student assignments. Findings indicate that GenAI enhanced student engagement and understanding, particularly when students used GenAI to creatively generate images that represented abstract scientific ideas. Students reported increased enjoyment and perceived learning compared to traditional assignments, and grade performance generally improved. The study also includes insights from the instructional team and student reflections. We conclude that integrating GenAI into STEM education can create dynamic learning opportunities, while also presenting challenges to conventional teaching practices.</p>