OB-GYN Resident’s Potential Is ‘Skiey’ High

Skiey Hardin changed her career ambitions from homicide detective to physician after graduating from college. There’s certainly no crime in that.

There’s also no crime in providing reproductive care to people who need it, she believes.

Hardin, who is in her second year as an OB-GYN resident at RUSH University, is passionate about reproductive rights and gender-affirming care, especially for people from underserved communities. She recently talked about the role her upbringing played in her career choice, the current state of abortion rights and the comradery among the OB-GYN residents at RUSH.

Tell us about your background.

Skiey Hardin: I was born and raised in New Augusta, Mississippi, a small town that has only one traffic light and lots of trees. I then went to the University of Mississippi, where I received an undergraduate degree in forensic chemistry. I always wanted to be a homicide detective or something similar.

But that changed after an internship at the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory, where I got to spend some time in the morgue. I thought, “This is really cool.” So I then wanted to work in forensic pathology, which you need a medical degree for. I switched gears and went to med school at the University of Mississippi, but I really hated pathology. I decided to remain open-minded at that point.

I really loved OB-GYN when I did my med school clinical rotations. That’s what I decided to pursue, and that’s how I ended up at RUSH.

What else motivated you to pursue a career in medicine?

SH: With OB-GYN, I was partly motivated by Mississippi’s high rate of teen pregnancy. I grew up in an area where there are a lot of teen pregnancies, and the majority of those teen moms are African American. And during medical school, a lot of the patients I saw on my rotation were also African American, so I felt a special connection to them. I come from an area where we don’t really talk about sexual education, so I felt like I owed it to my community to be in a specialty that allowed me to help educate them.

I saw a lot of myself in the patients I was seeing. I wasn’t a teen mom, but I related to their backgrounds. Black women have the highest maternal mortality rate, and I want to be part of changing that.

What are your thoughts on the current state of abortion rights?

SH: When Roe v. Wade was overturned, our OB-GYN group was very emotional and sad. But the saddest part was nobody was surprised.

It’s going to be a very challenging for providers across the nation to provide effective care to their patients. Physicians will be afraid to lose their license and won’t really know what to do. Their morale will be challenged.

I’m glad I’m currently in a state that prioritizes women’s health and finds it important to continue to provide abortion care. I’m glad I’m getting the training but sad that I might one day be in a state where I can’t provide these services. That’s really hard to explain to patients. Patients already feel very judged when they get an abortion. I think that judgment is going to increase, which is going to play a role on people’s mental health.

There are so many reasons that people get abortions. It’s not all just elective. We as a nation need to dig a little deeper and do more research into the need for abortion care before we write it off and judge it. Sometimes people need abortions to save their own lives, and we need to prioritize the lives of patients as much as we prioritize the life of a fetus.

Why did you choose RUSH for your residency training?

SH: I always thought I would stay in the South for my residency. But I have a friend who is also doing their residency in Chicago, and she convinced me to look more closely at the area. I was reluctant to live in a large city, but my virtual recruitment during the earlier days of the COVID-19 pandemic changed my mind.

I had to rely a lot on social media to learn about different institutions, because med students couldn’t make in-person visits at the time. On RUSH’s OB-GYN Instagram page, there were photos of residents hanging out — not just at work but also outside of work. Hanging out at work is one thing, but if you’re hanging out outside of work, that’s a choice. I wanted to be in a program where the people I worked with felt like family. That’s something that sets our program apart. We’re really good friends.

And when I interviewed here, I talked to the program director, Sloane York. We got into a topic she was very passionate about. I was passionate about it too. I remember telling myself, “Wow, I really need to be in that program.”

How do you feel about Chicago now that you’ve been here for a bit?

SH: My very first time in Chicago was when I moved here for my residency, and it has been amazing. I’ve been able to meet so many friends. I have a dog, and this is a very dog-friendly city. There is always something going on in Chicago.

I feel like you can be whoever you want to be in this city. There’s not a lot of judgment here, and I love that. I’m very passionate about the LGBTQ community, and I want to work in gender-affirmative surgery. This is a perfect city to support my goals.

How do you see your career playing out after your residency?

SH: I plan to do a fellowship in pelvic reconstructive surgery. I really want to work with the LGBTQ community. And a big part of that is gender-affirmation surgery and care. I know RUSH is moving toward doing a lot more with affirming care, so I’m excited to be part of that.

What advice would you give to someone who might be following a similar path?

SH: I would tell them not to doubt yourself. I grew up with a lot of insecurities because I came from such a small town. I didn’t feel like my educational foundation was as strong as a lot of my peers even though I performed as well as everyone around me.

So always shoot for the stars. You are your biggest limitation, so if there’s something that you want to do, just go for it. It’s OK to fail. Just pick yourself back up and keep going. Lean on supportive people around you. I always wanted to figure things out by myself, so I didn’t utilize my support system as much as I should have.

And I would tell myself a million times that you’re amazing no matter what anyone ever says to you. As long as you think you’re amazing, then you are amazing. You will accomplish anything that you put your mind to because you’re special and one of a kind.

The 2023 Hall of Fame members at the University of Mississippi are (top, from left) Preston D. Antes, Jilkiah L. Bryant, Andy Flores, Kelly Li and Preston McWilliams, and (bottom, froom left) Rabria M. Moore, Cecil Sepp, Logan C. Thomas, Margaret Lynn Walker and Morgan B. Whited. The honoreed were announced Friday (April 14) in a ceremony at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for Performing Arts. Photos by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

 

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi honored students for their leadership, academic achievements, service and potential on Friday (April 14) as they announced this year’s Hall of Fame class.

Each of the honorees was recognized during a special ceremony held at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for Performing Arts.

Ten UM seniors have been inducted into the university’s 2022-23 Hall of Fame, one of the highest honors given to Ole Miss students. Inductees were selected by a committee in accordance with policy developed by the Associated Student Body. Selections are based on outstanding contributions in all aspects of campus life. BA Biochemistry major  Morgan Whited was one of those named.

This year’s Hall of Fame members are Preston D. Antes, of Frontenac, Missouri; Jilkiah L. Bryant, of Macon; Andy Flores, of Ocean Springs; Kelly Li, of Hattiesburg; Preston McWilliams, of Ridgeland; Rabria M. Moore, of Durant; Cecil Sepp, of Southaven; Logan C. Thomas, of Ridgeland; Margaret Lynn Walker, of Suwanee, Georgia; and Morgan B. Whited, of Marion, Arkansas.

“I’m very proud of this year’s Hall of Fame inductee class,” said Brent Marsh, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students. “They are a diverse group of student leaders who have made significant contributions on the University of Mississippi campus, the LOU community and well beyond.

“Being recognized as a Hall of Fame inductee is one of our university’s highest honors, and these students are most deserving of this special recognition.”

Jason Ritchie receives Elsie M. Hood Award at annual Honors Convocation

Jason Ritchie, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, leads a freshman chemistry class in Coulter Hall. Ritchie is the 2023 recipient of the university’s Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher Award. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

 

OXFORD, Miss. – Jason Ritchie has received many awards and honors in his 23 years of teaching at the University of Mississippi. But the 2023 recipient of the Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher Award says the latest ranks as his most rewarding.

The associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry was presented the coveted accolade by Chancellor Glenn Boyce on Thursday evening (April 13) during the 80th annual Honors Day Convocation. Ritchie said he was overjoyed and humbled by the recognition.

“I’m extremely grateful that my students and colleagues have taken the time to nominate and recommend me for this award,” Ritchie said. “I try very hard to be the most effective classroom teacher I can be, and I’m glad that my students recognize that.”

Ritchie joined the Ole Miss faculty as an assistant professor in 2000. Over the past two decades, he has been promoted to associate professor. Ritchie also runs a research laboratory studying polymer electrolytes for fuel cells and batteries, with both graduate student and undergraduate researchers.

“Dr. Ritchie has a longstanding commitment to teaching excellence,” said Patrick Alexander, associate professor of English and African American studies and chair of the selection committee.

Jason Ritchie

 

“Nominators have described him as both brilliant and caring; that is, he has been dedicated to sharing with students both his vast knowledge of the subject of chemistry and his genuine interest in contributing meaningfully to students’ overall learning experiences in every class session.”

One student described Ritchie as “an absolutely amazing professor.” Another said that he “creates a welcoming environment … making himself readily available for questions and exploring the real-world applications of chemistry. His enthusiasm for his subject infiltrates students’ attitudes.”

Ritchie credited several colleagues for his career success at the university.

“Maurice Eftink has been a mentor for me since arriving at Ole Miss,” he said. “We’ve collaborated on big projects like the regional and state science fairs.

“I’ve also really enjoyed working with Dr. Josh Eyler in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning – especially on active learning techniques in the classroom – and Stephen Monroe from writing and rhetoric, who just recently brought me into serving on the Common Reading Selection Committee.”

A nomination letter from one student notes that, “Of the 17 freshman courses I have taken, none stand out more than the chemistry courses taught by Dr. Ritchie. He is not just a good teacher; he is a good person. He cares.”

Another from a student who has taken his classes for three consecutive semesters said that Ritchie “not only can guide a class through abstract concepts, but he can accomplish this task at two different levels simultaneously since he instructs both a general and an honors section. This versatility in his teaching techniques should be commended.”

When asked about role models in education, Ritchie said he has paid attention to Carl Wieman, a Nobel laureate in physics who focused a much of his post-Nobel Prize efforts on encouraging faculty to engage with active learning techniques in the classroom.

“He’s convinced a lot of university faculty of the need to change the way we traditionally taught college science classes and to use proven techniques for increasing student learning,” Ritchie said. “I took my first POGIL training after reading one of his papers about the effectiveness of active learning techniques in the STEM classroom.”

Chancellor Glenn Boyce (left) congratulates Jason Ritchie, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, as the 2023 recipient of the Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher Award at the university’s Honors Day Convocation. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

 

Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning, or POGIL, is an active learning teaching technique where students work in groups on a structured exercise that leads them through an inquiry process that helps them to build their own framework for understanding concepts in the course.

Ritchie earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at the University of California at San Diego in 1994, and a doctorate in inorganic chemistry at the University of Texas in 1998. He also did a postdoctoral research appointment at the University of North Carolina.

“I learned science with lots of other students in lecture halls listening to professors talk, and it’s a miracle we survived to get our degrees,” he said. “We’ve learned so much about how students actually learn the material in the course, and giving them a chance to actively try problems and work with the material in the classroom is an incredible boost to their understanding and problem-solving ability.”

Ritchie is the co-author of 20 refereed articles and more than a dozen chapters, and he has been the principal or co-principal investigator on external research grants totaling more than $7 million.

Teaching in the Sally McDonald Barksdale Honors College the past several years also has been fulfilling for Ritchie.

“I love seeing my students succeed, but I also really love it when I am able to reach a student who may be struggling and help them to become successful in my class,” he said. “It’s really a great feeling to see struggling students learn to be able to connect the dots for themselves and become successful in a college science class.”

Each year since 1966, the university has recognized excellence in teaching by presenting the Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher Award.

Based on nominations from both students and faculty, the award includes a personal plaque and a cash award. Recipients’ names are also engraved on a plaque listing previous winners, which is displayed in the J.D. Williams Library.

Click here for the original story by Edwin B. Smith.

Congratulations to Manuel Campbell for being named a Fulbright awardee!

Congratulations to Noah Garrett for being awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship!

Congratulations to B.S. Chemistry Majors Ethan Lambert &  Mary Beth VanLandingham for Receiving 2023 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships!