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An abortion rights advocate who was appointed to lead the University of Notre Dame’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies has decided “not to move forward” with her appointment.
In a Thursday message obtained by Digital, Mary Gallagher, professor of global affairs and the Marilyn Keough Dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, wrote, “Dear Keough School community, 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.”
In the message, Gallagher also said, “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 this decision.”
The University of Notre Dame Campus with golden dome, Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and Washington Hall. (Aaron Yoder via Getty Images)
In January, the prestigious Catholic university announced that Ostermann, who joined the university in 2017 as a global affairs professor, would begin her role as director of the Asian studies center in July.
Ostermann’s appointment drew fierce opposition from some corners due to her outspoken support for abortion rights.
According to Sycamore Trust, an unofficial organization of Notre Dame alumni, at least 19 cardinals, archbishops, and bishops opposed her appointment.
Sycamore Trust’s list includes Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, who said, “I fully support Bishop Kevin Rhoades in his challenge to Notre Dame to rectify its poor judgment.”
The list also included Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona–Rochester, who said, “I believe that going ahead with this appointment is repugnant to the identity and mission of that great center of Catholic learning.”
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General campus view of Notre Dame’s Hesburgh Library in South Bend, Indiana. (Getty Images)
Ostermann has been an outspoken advocate for abortion in her writings.
In 2022, Ostermann co-authored a Chicago Tribune article titled, “Lies about abortion have dictated our health policy,” with former Notre Dame professor Tamara Kay, where the two wrote that “almost 90% of abortions occur during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy when there are no babies or fetuses. There are only blastocysts or embryos so tiny they are too small to be seen on an abdominal ultrasound.”
The authors further wrote that abortion “doesn’t cause cancer, it doesn’t affect future fertility, and most people feel relief after an abortion and do not regret their decision. Up to 11 weeks, medication abortions are generally performed using mifepristone and misoprostol, which are safer than taking Tylenol.”
In another 2022 article published by Salon, titled, “Forced pregnancy and childbirth are violence against women — and also terrible health policy,” Ostermann and Kay wrote, “Criminalizing abortion results in irreparable harm. In fact, it actually has the opposite policy effect that anti-abortion advocates say they want: It can increase abortion rates, unintended pregnancies and infant mortality.”
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University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. (Don & Melinda Crawford/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
They also wrote “Abortion access is freedom-enhancing, in the truest sense of the word. Consistent with integral human development that emphasizes social justice and human dignity, abortion access respects the inherent dignity of women, their freedom to make choices and to evaluate medical and other risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth.”
Students at the University of Notre Dame previously said they were concerned about the decision to appoint Ostermann.
Additionally, Diane A. Desierto, professor of law and global affairs, as well as Robert M. Gimello, a research professor emeritus, told Digital that they were cutting ties with the university’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies in protest over Ostermann’s appointment.
Erin Blasko, a media relations official at Notre Dame, told Digital, “We respect Professor Ostermann’s decision to decline the directorship of the Liu Institute. We appreciate her deep commitment to the Institute’s mission and her desire to advance its important work. 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.”
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Bishop Robert Barron, a popular Catholic commentator and author, spoke in opposition to Ostermann’s appointment. ( Digital)
In a statement to Digital, Ostermann said, “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. 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.”
Ostermann added, “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.”
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