The University of Notre Dame has named Susan Ostermann, a professor with outspoken views supporting abortion rights, as the new director of the Keough School of Global Affairs’ Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. Ostermann has been at the university for nearly nine years and has written articles framing restrictions on abortion as violence and rooted in racism. The appointment has drawn criticism from pro-life advocates who question its alignment with the school's Catholic identity.
The University of Notre Dame, a prominent Catholic institution, announced the appointment of Susan Ostermann to lead the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies within the Keough School of Global Affairs. Ostermann joined the faculty almost nine years ago and has used her academic platform to publish multiple articles advocating for abortion access.
In a piece for Salon.com, Ostermann argued, “Forced pregnancy and childbirth is violence. It is sexual abuse. It is trauma.” She added, “When the state supports forced pregnancy and childbirth, it is complicit in this violence.” In another article titled “Abortion, racism, and guns: How white supremacy unites the right,” she contended that efforts to restrict abortion “have their roots in white supremacy and racism.”
The university's website emphasizes that “Notre Dame’s Catholic character informs all it does,” a statement now under scrutiny from critics like Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America. Hawkins highlighted the appointment in an opinion piece, noting Notre Dame received a “B” grade in the organization's report on 725 faith-based Christian colleges, which identified ties to abortion advocacy at 114 institutions. She also pointed to a Gender Studies Program event called “Trans Care & Abortion Care” that featured abortion advocates.
Hawkins argued the move contradicts core Catholic teachings on the sanctity of life, quoting a reference to Mother Teresa via Pope John Paul II: “the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion.” The controversy underscores tensions between academic freedom and religious doctrine at Catholic universities, with calls for accountability from students, parents, and donors.
