[4] After her youngest child was in high school, Perl attended Stanford University in Palo Alto, California and obtained a Ph.D. in mathematics education in 1979.
In 1974, Perl, together with a group of San Francisco Bay area women, founded the Math/Science Network[6][7] to encourage and inspire middle and high school girls to pursue careers in STEM.
"[9] In March 1979, Perl's book Math Equals: Biographies of Women Mathematicians + Related Activities received a very positive review by the American Library Association's publication Choice.
"An excellent, documented historical account of contributions made by somen interested in mathematics presented in a most unusual and readable format.
The attention of a reader in mathematics is captivated immediately..."[10] In 2005, GirlSource[11] honored Perl with its WAVE (Women of Achievement, Vision and Excellence) award.