David Perkey received his B.S. in Marine Science from the University of South Carolina in 1999, and his M.S. in Earth Science from North Carolina State University in 2003.

His graduate research focused on the sediment accumulation rate and associated organic carbon on the middle Eel River shelf, off northern California.  His current research interests are in fluvial geomorphology, and hopes to return to school to obtain his PhD.  Some areas of research that he finds most intriguing are the interactions between riparian forests/vegetation and channel morphology; responses in channel morphology after major storm events; and the affects of mass wasting events on channel morphology and fluvial sediment transport.