Childhood curiosity leads to a future in entomology

For Alexis Olmos, a fascination with insects didn’t begin in a laboratory — it started in her grandmother’s backyard.

As a child, those moments outdoors sparked a curiosity that eventually led her to New Mexico State University’s Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science, where she is pursuing a degree in agricultural biology with a concentration in entomology.

That sense of discovery has taken her far beyond the backyard. Throughout her undergraduate career, Olmos has contributed to research projects ranging from maintaining field crops and collecting mosquitoes that spread arboviruses to counting invasive fire ants and aphids and even raising maggots in the laboratory.

PHOTO: Alexis Olmos in NMSU’s Urban and Landscape Entomology Laboratory. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)