Big questions. Surprising answers. The joy of curiosity.

What can squirrels, sleep, pain and awe teach us about the world—and ourselves?

Alie Ward has built a devoted audience by following curiosity wherever it leads. As host of the acclaimed podcast “Ologies,” she asks leading researchers the questions many of us have wondered but never thought to ask, turning complex subjects into conversations that are accessible, surprising, and deeply human.

Join the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences for a lively conversation about science, storytelling and what happens when we stay curious. Ward will explore how she finds the human story inside complex subjects, why seemingly simple questions can lead to unexpected discoveries and how communicators can make science accessible without making it less rigorous.

The moderated Q&A will be led by J. Marshall Shepherd, associate dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, director of UGA’s Atmospheric Sciences Program, Regents Professor and Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor.

About Alie Ward

Alie Ward is a Daytime Emmy Award-winning science correspondent and the host of Ologies, a comedic science podcast named one of TIME magazine’s top 50 podcasts.

Ward is a correspondent for CBS’s The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation with Mo Rocca and has served as a consulting producer for the Netflix series Ada Twist, Scientist. Her other television work includes appearances on Netflix’s Brainchild and Science Channel’s How to Build Everything.

Before moving into science communication, Ward studied science and film and worked as a staff writer and editor for the Los Angeles Times. Her work brings those interests together, using humor, storytelling and genuine curiosity to help broad audiences engage with research and discovery.

About the 1801 Lecture Series

Made possible through support from the Teagle Foundation, the 1801 Lecture Series extends Franklin College’s commitment to learning across disciplines beyond the classroom. The series invites students, faculty and the wider community into accessible conversations with thinkers and communicators who take on big questions and demonstrate how ideas from the arts and sciences can illuminate one another.

Free to the public. Parking is available in the Hull Street Parking Deck. Off-campus visitors may request a parking coupon code in advance from the Special Collections Libraries or obtain one from the first-floor security desk upon arrival. UGA faculty, staff and students should pay the hourly rate at the parking kiosk after 1 p.m. Accessible parking is available on Level 3 of the deck, with a pedestrian bridge connecting the deck to the Special Collections Libraries.