The universe may be mysterious, but Lisa Will can at least make it relatable.

Shes an astronomy and physics professor at San Diego City College, which recently opened a new science building and planetarium.

The Pacific Beach resident is also the resident astronomer at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, where she presents monthly Sky Tonight planetarium shows.

Will, 43, was born in Northern California, lived in Arizona while she earned her doctorate from Arizona State and landed in San Diego in 2007. She tells us about her star-filled life.

Q: What inspired you to study astronomy?

A: Star Trek. I vividly remember being around 5 years old and looking up Vulcan in the encyclopedia, expecting to learn more about the planet. Instead I found the Roman god of fire and forge. That led me to looking up other things, like planets and stars, saddened that interstellar space travel and aliens were not, in fact, a part of our reality. But it also set me on a path of learning about astronomy.

Q: Youre also a physics professor. Can you explain, in layman terms, how physics and astronomy work together?

A: Physics is the study of how the things work. In astronomy, we use physics to study how the universe functions. The most amazing thing about physics is how widely applicable it is. For example, the Doppler effect used to track the path of storms is the same physics that describes the redshifts of galaxies, which is how we first learned the universe is expanding. I try to stress that breadth to help my students appreciate physics.

Q: Tell us a bit about City Colleges new planetarium.

A: Due to the generosity of voters who passed Propositions S and N, City College now has a new science building, which first opened for classes in spring 2014. This facility provides the modern classrooms and science laboratories that the hardworking students of City College deserve. As part of this building, an 80-seat Spitz SciDome HD planetarium was included to serve both as the Astronomy 101 lecture hall and a space for public-outreach events.

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City College professor brings stars to her students