Jessica L. Perkins, PhD, is a proud graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Industrial & Systems Engineering. She later went on to receive her master's and doctoral degrees from the same in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a focus on Production and Manufacturing Systems, respectively. During her studies, she was a member of NSBE, Alpha Pi Mu Industrial Engineering Honor Society and The Community of Graduate Scholars and received the distinct honor of being named UNCF Scholar, NACME Scholar and a Title III HCBI Fellow. Jessica has collaborated on several research initiatives with the NC A&T Engineering Research Center for Revolutionizing Metallic Biomaterials, Wake Forest School of Regenerative Medicine, the University of Pittsburgh School of Regenerative Medicine, and The Waterman Lab.

Along with her advisor, Salil Desai, Jessica co-authored several articles to include: "Direct writing of bio-functional coatings for cardiovascular applications" and "Direct writing of polymeric coatings on magnesium alloy for tracheal stent applications" for the NIH National Library of Medicine. Her research was centered around understanding the most feasible, low-cost, biocompatible alternative for manufacturing and coating metallic biomaterials for surgical use. She defended her dissertation titled "Biofunctional Coatings Using Direct-Write Fabrication Technique for Surgical Implant Devices" in the spring of 2012. At that time, Jessica dedicated her research accomplishments to her grandmother, Ada Via Winbush, who lost her battle with lung cancer just months prior to completion of her studies.

Jessica later went on to work in the industry, joining the team at Honda Aircraft Company as an industrial engineer in 2014 and later Bridgestone Aircraft Tire (USA), Inc. in 2019 where she served in multiple capacities, including Technical Service Engineer and Original Equipment (OE) Technical Specialist. She was also a member and officer of the Aircraft Tire and Rim Association and SAE International A5 and A5c, where she participated in developing and maintaining technical consensus standards in the field of aviation, focusing on the landing gear down. She has been considered an expert in the aircraft tire industry, has been one of only a few women in the aircraft tire engineering and the only known African American female in the field. Jessica has excelled in each of these roles and brings an infinite amount of data analysis, research, and industry experiences to share with the students of MEP and the Purdue cohort!

Jessica proudly demonstrates her passion for outreach by pouring into and uplifting the next generation of engineers through the sharing of her time, talents, and knowledge!

Jessica is the proud mother of one daughter, Corynn Perkins.