Phil has been an invaluable source of advice and mentorship throughout my career. I met Phil and worked in his New Technology Group at The Pillsbury Technology Center as a research scientist almost thirty years ago, and his support and guidance has helped propel my career forward ever since. After I accepted a professorship at the University of Minnesota, Phil continued to make helpful introductions and connect me to excellent resources for my research goals. Phil is a patient and encouraging mentor with deep expertise in people development and strategic planning. It has been a privilege to work with and learn from him.

I have known Dr. Phil Perkins since I was a graduate student at the University Tennessee where he served as an Adjunct Professor. He helped me grow from a graduate student to a working professional by mentoring and guiding me for years. He has always been encouraging and supportive. His suggestions and advice have inspired me to think about long-term goals and help me navigate my career path. I cannot thank Dr. Phil Perkins enough for what he has done to help and guide me. I would not be where I am today without his influence and guidance.

Dr. Phil. Perkins was a guest speaker at the fourth international conference on Health & Environment hosted by Beijing Union University in Nov., 2019. His presentation was so well received that my colleagues and students asked for on-going collaboration and guidance. I invited him to return to China for a series of guest lectures in 2020, but due to the global pandemic these were conducted via Zoom. The lectures were well received by the students who really appreciated Dr. Perkins’s perspectives on multiple subjects. They also greatly appreciated his offer of on-going coaching and career advice. I look forward to future work with Dr Perkins in many areas.

Dr. Perkins has made a huge impact on my life—professional and otherwise. From resume help and mock interviews to graduate school guidance and industry connections, to career and life priorities, he has been an incredibly influential and personal mentor at critical junctures in my professional journey—through undergrad, further education, and into my early career. Ready to take the challenge and pay it forward, he has always been available and willing to ask the right questions and discuss my options. His passion for people, desire to coach the next generation, and respect for the process are an example that I hope to emulate today and in the future.

Dr. Perkins, without a doubt, has one of the most formidable minds I have ever encountered and his vast degree of experience within the food and beverage industry was apparent from my first meeting with him. He goes the extra mile with product research and isn’t afraid to “get his hands dirty” to help streamline a process. Dr. Perkins helped to create multiple and varied products for the distillery, all of which were resounding success stories. Beyond being an indispensable member of the Research and Development team, perhaps the thing that sets Dr. Perkins apart is the amount of time he spent with both myself and the other employees bridging the gap between “knowing” and “understanding”. He made it a point to explain why a particular method of processing or testing would be superior to the others for a given product, what he was looking for in market demographic research, why the blind tests were set up the way they were, sensory training, and even went so far as to explain chemical make up and chemical reactions throughout the process in situations where it would be helpful for us to be familiar with that aspect of the product. Dr. Perkins is easily the most well informed and most helpful consultant I have ever worked with.

There's just a small handful of people I have met throughout my career that have made a profound impact on my life, and Dr. Perkins tops my list. He has been a great mentor and a friend, and one of the most inspirational, innovative, forward-thinking, proactive, and supportive people I have ever met. He is one of the few people I know who passionately helps others to grow both personally and professionally beyond themselves. He is a caring leader with a wealth of knowledge and a passion to help both individuals and organizations to grow and blossom. I especially would like to point out that his willingness to support, along with his curious nature and thirst to constantly teach, mentor, and innovate has helped me define my path forward in my career and life, and to alter it as needed. He is my trusted advisor and friend, and I strongly recommend Dr. Perkins to any individual or organization who wants to unlock more of their potential.

I worked with Phil for over ten years. During that time, he taught me the power of visualization, investing in others, and strategic patience. Phil is an expert at creative realization through pictures. In today’s world of quick hits and tiny bits, images are often worth more than verbal descriptions. Phil also showed me the power of personality. He never fails to invest so much of his own personal time to coach, to lift others up, to pay attention to the needs and desires of his coworkers. Phil looks for ways to connect and has spent his career searching for new ways to add value to, with, and for those with whom he associates. The concept Phil taught me which has proven most valuable (and was most challenging to accept) is that of “strategic patience”. That idea that I may be thinking of the solution before others are ready for it. He helped me learn to be patient and bring others along or let them catch up. Put into action, the concept can bring magic to any situation.

Dr. Perkins has been a great asset to Shaan Xi Normal University in China. He has made excellent presentations to my students and helped me with scientific papers. I am proud to consider Dr. Perkins to be a faculty partner.