Notre Dame names global affairs professor who supports abortion to lead Asian studies institute

The University of Notre Dame has announced that associate professor Susan Ostermann will become director of its Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies starting in July, a decision that has attracted attention due to her publicly stated positions on abortion.

Ostermann, a global affairs faculty member since 2017, has co-authored opinion pieces in which she described laws restricting abortion as harmful and questioned widely used characterizations of early-term pregnancy.

In response to the appointment, some commentators and faculty critics have raised concerns about how Ostermann’s record aligns with Notre Dame’s Catholic mission, which explicitly asserts respect for the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.

University officials defended the selection, noting Ostermann’s academic credentials.