There is a professional basketball player named Jeremy Lin who is drawing a lot of attention because of his seeming rise from nowhere to sudden stardom. He has invigorated his team, his sport and the world with his play, his hard-working approach to the game and the humility with which he has handled all of the attention. That he is currently the only player of Asian American descent in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and a graduate of an Ivy League school (Harvard) that has produced more U.S. presidents than NBA players makes his meteoric rise all the more impressive.
I recently thought of Mr. Lin and how his story relates to ours at Bastyr University, since we are also doing things that have rarely been done before, inspiring others with our work and ”changing the game” in a number of different ways.
Prostate Cancer Trial
One area that sets Bastyr University apart from our competitors is the research conducted here on campus. A wonderful example of this is the Bastyr Integrative Oncology Research Center (BIORC), which is in the planning stages of a trial funded by the National Institutes of Health on the effects of medicinal mushrooms on prostate cancer.
While the trial is not set to begin for a couple of months, BIORC is looking to get the word out that we are at the forefront when it comes to complementary and alternative research on prostate cancer, and are leaders when it comes to integrative medicine.
Living Naturally Lecture Series
This month our Living Naturally talks resume at our teaching clinic, Bastyr Center for Natural Health, with popular topics such as "Acupuncture for Fertility” and “Heart-Healthy Foods.” I can think of no better way to spread the message about natural medicine than with these lectures and am proud to say we are the only University in the area to offer these talks, free of charge, to the public.
San Diego Accreditation
After months of preparations, we received regional accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) for our new campus in San Diego. The NWCCU is one of six regional accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
To offer the first and only accredited naturopathic medicine program in the state of California is an accomplishment of which we are immensely proud, since accreditation sets us apart from myriad other institutions that focus on natural health. It gives Bastyr University California credibility that other schools do not have and solidifies our standing as the place to go for students interested in becoming licensed naturopathic primary care physicians.
2012 Commencement Speaker
Christa Louise, MS, PhD, has been named principal speaker at the University’s 31st Annual Commencement Exercises on June 18, 2012, at Benaroya Hall in Seattle.
Dr. Louise is an advocate for all of the natural health disciplines and is an articulate spokesperson for whole-person health, and we are delighted and honored that she has agreed to take part in our commencement exercises. This year has added significance since it commemorates the 100th anniversary of our namesake’s birth, and Dr. Louise has expressed her excitement in being a part of this ceremony in an extra-special year.
These are just a few examples of the work Bastyr University is doing in a number of different areas. In the natural health community I feel like we are game-changers, just like Jeremy Lin, and am proud of the trail we are blazing.
In Health,
Daniel K. Church, PhD
President, Bastyr University
