Actress Mayim Bialik, known for her roles as a nerdy neuroscientist on The Big Bang Theory (and in life!) and the title flower-hatted teenager on Blossom, will receive an honorary degree during Boston University’s commencement on May 18.

Besides being a real-life neuroscientist, do you relate to your character on the The Big Bang Theory at all?
To some extent. I mean, she’s socially awkward and I am, too, in a slightly different way. What we do on the show is really for comedic effect. I was kind of a late bloomer, and obviously Amy is as well. I think Amy’s a person who appreciates unusual people, and I think you could definitely say that of me as well.

Have you ever had to explain some of the scientific terms to the other actors?
No, you kind of want to leave actors alone with that stuff. They don’t think it’s cool when other people tell them what’s up. I mean, the job of an actor is to pretend that we’re all sorts of things, so everyone was doing just fine before I came along. They absolutely don’t need me explaining anything, and, for the most part, they don’t have to be terribly interested in the “real science stuff” because they’re actors and they don’t need to know—or want to.

Do you think Blossom’s hats will ever make a comeback?
Fortunately or unfortunately, I have seen them on some young hipsters.

Is there anything you miss about ’90s TV?
I think in a lot of ways life was simpler, both for TV and not, so I guess I miss that. When I look back at Blossom, I looked like a kid, ’cause I was a kid. And I guess, on behalf of young actresses, I miss being able to look like a kid, ’cause I don’t think young girls get to do that a lot anymore.

Did you ever have a crush on Joey Lawrence?
No, I did on Michael Stoyanov, who played the older brother on Blossom. That was more my type, the brooding, mopey type.