The Bastyr University Board of Trustees appoints Randy Frisch, PhD, JD, MBA president of the university after Frisch delivers turnaround success and vision for a new era at one of the nation's top performing institutions for naturopathic medicine and the aligned health sciences.
KENMORE, Wash., June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Bastyr University Board of Trustees is proud to announce the appointment of Bastyr University President Randy Frisch. President Frisch succeeds Interim Bastyr University President and Co-Founder Dr. Joseph Pizzorno as the university's seventh president in its 48-year history.
"Dr. Randy Frisch is a brilliant leader with the knowledge and expertise to advance our beloved university in all the right ways," says Bastyr University Interim President Pizzorno. "President Frisch and I have worked closely together, over the last year, to rebuild the university's finances and refine its academic programs. Dr. Frisch is the architect of the university's turnaround plan. With his guidance, we returned Bastyr to financial stability while reducing costs for our largest academic program, the naturopathic medicine doctorate."
President Frisch is an established leader in higher education. Before joining Bastyr University, Dr. Frisch was president of City University (CityU) Seattle from 2013 to 2024. During this same period, he also served as general counsel for CityU's parent organization, National University, a private, non-profit system of higher education with 25,000 students and 3,000 employees. While at the helm of City U, Dr. Frisch oversaw a financial turnaround, changing the university's Department of Education Composite Score from below 1.0 to 2.95.
"One-year ago, it was very clear to the Bastyr University Board of Trustees that we needed an experienced leader with the financial acumen to restore health to the university," says Bastyr Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Jane Guiltinan. "Dr. Frisch and Dr. Pizzorno turned the university around and positioned it to thrive again. Our board is confident in Dr. Frisch's ability to lead, and we are thrilled he is the university's next president."
In the coming academic year, Dr. Frisch will oversee the continued refinements to university operations and programs to lower cost barriers and help more students access excellent naturopathic medicine and aligned health sciences higher education.
- Student focus: Engage in student listening sessions, align program offerings with federal financial aid guidelines, and provide supports to keep graduation rates exceptionally high.
- Enrollment growth: Continue to develop resourceful ways to expand access to more non-traditional students who pursue undergraduate, master's, and doctorate degrees.
- Enhance postdoctoral experience: Improve NPLEX performance for graduating naturopathic physicians and grow residency programs at university clinics and via partnerships.
Bastyr University President Randy Frisch officially begins work in his new role on July 1, 2026.
About Bastyr University
Bastyr University is a nonprofit, private university offering doctorate, graduate, and undergraduate degrees with a multidisciplinary curriculum in science-based natural health and medicine. Recognized globally for its rigorous curriculum and strong research, Bastyr University has campuses in Kenmore, Washington, and San Diego, California. Bastyr's faculty educates future leaders in the natural health arts and sciences, with an emphasis on integrating mind, body, spirit, and nature. For more information, please visit .
Media Contact
Nicole Francois, Bastyr University, 1 2067994414, [email protected], bastyr.edu
SOURCE Bastyr University
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