Susan Ostermann, an associate professor of global affairs at Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs, was appointed to lead the University's Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. Catholic and pro-life critics questioned that appointment, given Ostermann's views on abortion and past statements on the pro-life movement, saying it has "its roots in white supremacy and racism" and that misogyny is "embedded" in the pro-life movement. Ostermann also said pro-life pregnancy resource centers are "anti-abortion propaganda sites" and argued that Catholic social doctrine actually supports abortion because "it enhances freedom and flourishing for women."
Ostermann has now withdrawn her appointment to that position, following that pushback from Catholic bishops and pro-life groups.
After massive backlash from the pro-life Notre Dame community/Catholic bishops like Bishop Rhoades, pro-abortion associate professor Susan Ostermann declines her appointment to lead the Liu Institute.
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) February 26, 2026
Shows how much influence the bishops still have:
https://t.co/zPgKqFb5KN
Associate professor of global affairs Susan Ostermann has decided to reject her appointment to lead the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. The decision was announced in an email to students of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs from the school’s dean, Mary Gallagher, Thursday morning. Ostermann will remain a faculty member of the Keough School.
“Professor Susan Ostermann, a member of the Keough School faculty who was recently appointed director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, has decided not to move forward as director,” Gallagher wrote. “I am grateful for her willingness to serve and for the thoughtfulness with which she approached this decision.”
In an email, Mary Gallagher, dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs, wrote:
Today I would like to share that Professor Susan Ostermann, a member of the Keough School faculty who was recently appointed director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, has decided not to move forward as director.
Susan is a respected scholar of South Asian politics and regulatory governance whose research and teaching reflect the intellectual rigor and interdisciplinary excellence at the heart of both the Liu Institute and the Keough School of Global Affairs. I am grateful for her willingness to serve and for the thoughtfulness with which she approached her decision.
Recommended
Ostermann's appointment earned the condemnation of high-ranking Catholic officials. This included Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, who issued a statement earlier this month about Ostermann's appointment that read in part:
Also disqualifying is Professor Ostermann’s work as a consultant for the Population Council. For those who have never heard of it, this is an organization dedicated to the promotion of abortion around the world. It has been linked to China’s population control policies that have resulted in hundreds of millions of abortions of baby girls. It was also instrumental in securing approval of the abortion pill by the FDA, which is responsible for the majority of abortions in the United States.
Some may claim that this appointment should be protected by academic freedom. Academic freedom concerns the liberty of faculty to conduct research according to their own professional judgment and interests. This appointment, by contrast, concerns the official administrative appointment to lead an academic unit. Such appointments have profound impact on the integrity of Notre Dame’s public witness as a Catholic university.
Bishop Rhoades said that Ostermann's claims about abortion, pregnancy resource centers, the pro-life movement, and Catholic social doctrine were "outrageous" and should "disqualify her from an administrative and leadership role at a Catholic university."
Bishop Robert Barron of Minnesota echoed his support for Bishop Rhoades, writing on X, "Suffice it to say that the woman proposed for a key leadership position at Our Lady’s University is not simply 'pro-choice' on the question of abortion; she is a sharp critic of the pro-life position and those who advocate it. She has gone so far as to characterize the anti-abortion stance as rooted in white supremacy and racism, and she has insinuated that the Catholic commitment to integral human development implies the support of abortion rights. Like Bishop Rhoades, I speak as someone with strong connections to and deep affection for the University of Notre Dame. I believe that going ahead with this appointment is repugnant to the identity and mission of that great center of Catholic learning."
Two scholars also resigned from their positions with the Asian Studies Institute in protest of Ostermann's appointment. Robert Gimello, a research professor emeritus of theology, and Diane Desierto, professor of law and global affairs, cut ties with the Liu Institute following the announcement of Ostermann's appointment, with Gimello saying Ostermann's opposition to Church teaching was "verging...on contempt."
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy Townhall’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical Left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member