BUZZ
Professor Susan Ostermann will not accept a leadership role at the University of Notre Dame, administrators announced Thursday after the scholar’s pro-abortion beliefs attracted backlash from students, professors, and alumni at the Catholic institution.
The Observer, Notre Dame’s student newspaper, broke the news of Ostermann’s decision on Thursday, ahead of a scheduled protest opposing her as the new leader of the university’s Liu Institute.
“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,” Dean Mary Gallagher wrote in an email Thursday to students in the Keough School of Global Affairs.
“I am grateful for her willingness to serve and for the thoughtfulness with which she approached this decision,” Gallagher wrote.
Ostermann is ardently pro-abortion, even accusing pro-lifers of being racist. She also has said laws prohibiting the intentional destruction of innocent human babies are a form of “violence.”
The university’s decision to appoint her in January sparked immediate criticism, including from South Bend Bishop Kevin Rhoades, The College Fix reported earlier this month. Two scholars, Robert Gimello and Diane Disierto, also resigned from their membership of the Liu Institute.
Meanwhile, pro-life students at the university have been planning a protest Friday to oppose Ostermann’s appointment.
Despite her decision to step down, the “March on the Dome” protest will continue as planned, sophomore Luke Woodyard told the student newspaper.
“This is great news, but although we won the battle, the war wages on. The fact that this pro abortion professor could ever be appointed signifies a much deeper Split between the students, deans, and administration,” Woodyard told The Observer.
Ostermann, who teaches political science and global affairs, will continue to work as a professor at the Catholic university, according to the report:
Ostermann was announced as incoming director by the University on Jan. 8, with her appointment effective July 1, 2026. Since then, Ostermann has faced backlash from 15 bishops and two cardinals, multiple campus groups and a number of professors for her outspoken abortion rights advocacy in multiple articles in the Chicago Tribune and elsewhere. …
Ostermann shared the following statement at the end of the email.
“My only goal in accepting the Liu Institute Directorship was to serve as a steward for the Institute’s world-class faculty, students and staff; it is not a position I applied for, but I was truly honored to take it on,” Ostermann said. “At present, the focus on my appointment risks overshadowing the vital work the Institute performs, which it should be allowed to pursue without undue distraction. At the same time, it has become clear that there is work to do at Notre Dame to build a community where a variety of voices can flourish. Both academic inquiry and the full realization of human dignity demand this of us. Towards both of these ends, I have decided not to move forward as Director. Instead, I look forward to collaborating with colleagues across the university to build a campus community where all can speak openly on the issues that matter to them most, and to continuing collaborations with colleagues at the Liu Institute and beyond.”
The university also issued a statement Thursday, saying it respects Ostermann’s decision.
“She remains a highly valued member of our faculty, and we are grateful for her continued contributions as a scholar-teacher and member of the Notre Dame community,” the university stated.
Earlier this month, the university defended its decision to appoint the pro-abortion scholar to the leadership post, telling The Fix that she is well-respected and she understands the institution supports the pro-life cause.
MORE: South Bend bishop rebukes Notre Dame for appointment of pro-abortion scholar
