Prairie View A&M University’s Google Endowed Professor Judy Perkins, PhD, PE, still uses a book her sister gave her as a child when encouraging students to pursue engineering: “Can I Be an Engineer?” That early gift, along with the support of her mother and mentors, laid the foundation for a lifelong career in transportation engineering and education. A teacher first sparked her interest in the field when she was just 14 years old, showing her the possibilities and rewards of the profession.
Today, Perkins serves as professor and director of the National Center for Infrastructure Transformation (NCIT) at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU). Under her leadership, NCIT was awarded the 2024-2025 Council of University Transportation Centers – American Public Transportation Association Workforce Development Leadership Award.
Perkins has been at PVAMU since 2004, where she made history as the first female and first African American department head of Civil & Environmental Engineering. Her journey in education spans more than three decades. Perkins holds a PhD in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, an MS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a BS from Southern University. She also earned a certificate in Geographic Information Systems from Georgia Tech Continuing Education.
“By selecting transportation engineering as a career path, I can meet and interact with a broad range of professionals from the areas of business, engineering, human development, law, public policy & planning, and science,” she said.
“Pursuing a career in transportation engineering provides the opportunity to enter a field that continues to evolve and adapt to real-time concerns and challenges.”
“In Jamaica, teachers could be more impactful than parents.”
She’s passionate about both the field and the future of its workforce. “Pursuing a career in transportation engineering will provide the opportunity to enter a field that continues to evolve and adapt to real-time concerns and challenges,” she tells her students.
Some of her proudest moments as an educator come from seeing students advance professionally, many going on to earn graduate degrees, professional engineering licenses, or serve their communities and country.
“As a transportation engineer teaching in higher education, my philosophy is to reach each one of my students at their respective levels of understanding, elevate them to new intellectual heights, and ultimately cultivate a life-long thirst for learning,” she said. “I work diligently to inspire my students to have a profound impact in all aspects of the transportation engineering industry and profession.”
Perkins’ own impact has been widely recognized. She was named PVAMU’s Roy G. Perry College of Engineering Outstanding Faculty Research Award recipient in both 2022 and 2025. In 2020, she was included among the 1,000 Inspiring Black Scientists in America by Cell Mentor. Other accolades include the 2022 Faculty Senate Excellence in Service Award, the 2024 American Road & Transportation Builders Association Women Leaders Excellence in Academia Award, and the 2024 Excellence in Research & Technology Award from the USDOT Future of Transportation Summit Team.
“I work diligently to inspire my students to have a profound impact in all aspects of the transportation engineering industry and profession.”
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
She believes mentorship is a two-way experience. “Since I can remember, I have deposited directly and indirectly into the lives of a vast array of women and men of all ethnic origins. The benefits to my personal growth have been infinite,” she said. “I am truly grateful that God allowed my path to cross with some very special individuals who took the time to deposit into my life, thus inspiring and cultivating a lifetime passion in me to help others.”
Looking ahead, Perkins is excited about the innovations that are reshaping the field, from artificial intelligence used to tackle surface transportation infrastructure challenges, 3D printing used to expedite roadway repairs, and advanced technologies used to monitor the health of our transportation infrastructure assets.
It reminds her of one of her favorite quotes from Dr. Wayne Dyer: “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”