Alie Ward

Born Alison Ann Ward on November 6, 1976, in San Francisco, California, Alie Ward initially pursued a biology degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara, with an interest in biological illustration. She later shifted her focus, earning a degree in cinema from San Francisco State University before moving to Los Angeles to begin her career. Her early professional life included roles in television, such as a recurring part as Miranda in “Nash Bridges” (1998-2000) and appearances in shows like “Roswell” (2001) and “King of the Hill” (2002). Concurrent with her acting, Ward cultivated a career in journalism and visual arts. She was hired by L.A. Weekly in late 2005 to illustrate their “24/7” column and by early 2006, she was writing her own weekly column, “The Mental Ward,” focusing on nightlife and culture. Her writing contributions also extended to the Los Angeles Times and Metromix L.A., and she appeared on-camera for KTLA news segments.

A significant turning point occurred around 2013 when a visit to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County inspired her to volunteer there weekly. This experience led Ward to pivot her career towards science communication. She became a correspondent for the CBS series “Innovation Nation,” for which she received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing Special Class in 2016. Building on this new direction, Ward launched her highly successful science podcast, “Ologies,” in 2017. The podcast has garnered critical acclaim, including “Best Science Podcast” at the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards and “Best Podcast Host” at the Webby Awards in 2022. Her work in science communication expanded to include roles as a regular contributor on Netflix’s educational series “Brainchild” (2018) and hosting “Did I Mention Invention? With Alie Ward” on The CW. In 2020, she co-hosted the Netflix investigative series “100 Humans.” Ward also served as a Consulting Producer for Higher Ground Productions’ Netflix shows “Ada Twist, Scientist” and “Waffles & Mochi,” showcasing her versatility in making science and cooking accessible to younger audiences.