Wissal Boudaoud

Undergraduate Fellow, Team Skeet

“Let’s pretend for the next 15 minutes of this interview that I love bugs.” 

Rising WashU senior Wissal Boudaoud is completing her first summer of research at Tyson on the Mosquito Ecology and Evolution Team, under the mentorship of graduate student Lauren Johnson. The bulk of Wissal’s days are spent observing and sample collecting from 35 mosquito collection buckets placed throughout Tyson’s 2,000 acres and volunteer residences throughout St. Louis City and County. 

Where did your fascination with nature begin, if not with bugs? 

“I always subconsciously observed nature. I would play outside a lot when I was younger. Sometimes, I would play soccer on my own and if it got really quiet, I would stand there and listen to animals and nature sounds. It was cool just knowing they were there. [At Tyson] the field work is hard, but it makes me feel the most involved in the environment. It’s cool to feel like I am a part of it.” 

What inspired your independent project?  

“I’ve always been interested in how climate change affects the environment. I wanted to find a project that would connect to that in the mosquito lab. I’m hoping to see how water pollution affects larval development.”