A professor at the University of Notre Dame has withdrawn from a senior leadership appointment after weeks of public backlash over her record of support for abortion.

Susan Ostermann, an associate professor in Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, will no longer assume the role of director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. In a February 26 email, Keough Dean Mary Gallagher said Ostermann “decided not to move forward” with the appointment. Ostermann had been slated to begin the position July 1 but will remain on the faculty as an associate professor.

The controversy erupted after Notre Dame announced her appointment in January. Critics pointed to Ostermann’s published writings describing abortion restrictions as “violence” and rejecting the claim that abortion ends a human life. Opponents argued that elevating a vocal abortion-rights advocate to a leadership post conflicted with Notre Dame’s Catholic identity.

The backlash quickly extended beyond campus. Two faculty members resigned from roles at the Liu Institute in protest. Students organized prayer events and demonstrations, urging the university to uphold its stated Catholic character.

The local bishop, Kevin C. Rhoades, whose diocese includes Notre Dame, issued a public statement expressing “strong opposition” to the appointment. He warned it was “causing scandal to the faithful” and said Ostermann’s public advocacy directly conflicted with a core principle of the university’s mission.

Other Catholic leaders echoed that criticism. Robert Barron publicly voiced support for Rhoades’ statement, urging Catholics to read it in full. On Tuesday, Rhoades joined students, faculty, and staff at the university’s Marian grotto to pray a public rosary “for the cause of life.”

Pro-life advocates welcomed Ostermann’s withdrawal from the leadership role but said further action may be warranted. Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, called the decision “a good start,” while arguing that Notre Dame should ensure its faculty and leadership reflect the institution’s core teachings.

In a statement included with Gallagher’s email, Ostermann said her decision was motivated by concern that the controversy would overshadow the institute’s work. She said there remains “work to do at Notre Dame to build a community where a variety of voices can flourish.”

The Catholic Church teaches that human life is sacred from conception to natural death and that direct abortion is gravely immoral. That framework is articulated in Ex Corde Ecclesiae, issued by Pope John Paul II, which calls on Catholic universities to preserve their identity while pursuing academic inquiry within the bounds of faith and reason.

Student organizers indicated that prayer efforts and demonstrations will continue, framing the development as evidence that sustained pressure from alumni, clergy, and students can influence university leadership decisions.