Dr. Perkins joined the Kinesiology department in 2008 as a lecturer in the Health Sciences Program.  She currently serves as the Chair of the Kinesiology Department, and as a major advisor in the Health Sciences. In 2019, she received a promotion to Teaching Professor.

Before joining the Rice faculty, Dr. Perkins completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Behavioral Science at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Center where her research examined exercise and cancer survivorship. Her research interests continues to focus on exercise and the development of effective inventions that facilitate adoption and maintenance of exercise in community settings. Dr. Perkins worked in the fitness and health promotion field prior to academia and brings her applied experience to the classroom.

Dr. Perkins is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) and is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC).