Notre Dame Scholar Withdraws From Liu Institute Amid Abortion Backlash
Withdrawal announced Feb. 26; Ostermann will remain faculty; appointment provoked criticism from bishops and prompted two institute resignations.
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Overview
On February 26, Associate Professor Susan Ostermann said she would not move forward as director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, Dean Mary Gallagher wrote in an email.
Ostermann had been appointed in January to lead the Liu Institute and was slated to begin the directorship on July 1, according to university notices.
Bishop Kevin Rhoades and other Catholic leaders publicly condemned the appointment, and two Liu Institute affiliates, Robert Gimello and Diane Desierto, resigned in protest, university statements and reports said.
Ostermann, who has worked at Notre Dame since 2017, is an associate professor at the Keough School and has served as a consultant for the Population Council, according to her biography.
Ostermann said the focus on her appointment risked overshadowing the institute's work, and student organizers said demonstrations and prayer events would continue, according to reports.
Analysis
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FAQ
Ostermann withdrew because the focus on her appointment risked overshadowing the institute's vital work, as she stated in her announcement on February 26.
The backlash stemmed from Ostermann's public support for abortion rights and her consultancy with the Population Council, which Catholic bishops like Kevin Rhoades and Thomas Paprocki called a scandal incompatible with Notre Dame's Catholic mission.
Professors Diane Desierto and Robert Gimello resigned their affiliations with the Liu Institute in protest over Ostermann's appointment.
Ostermann remains an associate professor at the Keough School of Global Affairs and a valued faculty member, continuing her scholarly contributions.
The appointment was announced on January 8, with the directorship slated to begin on July 1.
