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Office of the Chancellor 
Texas Tech University System 

System Administration Building
1508 Knoxville Ave., Ste. 306
Box 42013
Lubbock, TX 79409-2013

Phone: 806.742.0012

Fax: 806.742.8050 

8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Central, Monday - Friday

Janet Tornelli-Mitchell, M.D.

Janet Tornelli-MitchellFirst Lady, Texas Tech University System

Printable Bio (PDF) | High-Resolution Photo

Janet Tornelli-Mitchell, M.D., is the first lady of the Texas Tech University System (TTU System). Her husband, Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D., serves as chancellor and CEO of the system, which includes five universities: Texas Tech University (TTU), Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Angelo State University (ASU), Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso) and Midwestern State University (MSU Texas).

The couple first joined the TTU System family in 2010 when Mitchell was named the eighth president of TTUHSC. They assumed their new roles when they joined the Office of the Chancellor in October 2018.

Tornelli-Mitchell is no stranger to the global efforts made by the system. She works alongside Mitchell to further the interests of the TTU System within the local community and business- and health-related industries, as well as the state and federal governments.

As the system’s first lady, Tornelli-Mitchell leads a health and wellness initiative offered to employees of the TTU System through The Employees Retirement System of Texas benefits program. The initiative was launched in the summer of 2020, and under her leadership, focuses on promoting wellness benefits to employees of the system and creating a community of support throughout their health and wellness journeys. Tornelli-Mitchell actively engages with employees participating in the initiative through the TTU System Health + Wellness Facebook Group, where she shares health-related tips, events and resources.

Tornelli-Mitchell served as the first female physician at the renowned Cooper Clinic in Dallas (1996-2010). She developed a comprehensive, preventative medical evaluation program tailored to the specific needs of women and served as the medical director for the nutrition department and as the clinic’s medical review officer.

Tornelli-Mitchell’s tireless dedication in medicine led to her initial appointment at the Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas in 1991, where she served as vice chairwoman of the Community Medicine Department (1994-2010). She was appointed to the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners by then-Gov. George W. Bush (1997-2006), serving as vice president of the board (2003-2006). During her tenure, she was reappointed by then-Gov. Rick Perry to serve the board on the District Review Committee (2008-2014). At the national level, Tornelli-Mitchell was an active member of the Federation of State Medical Boards.

She remains active in the field of medicine, sharing her knowledge and experience with others. Tornelli-Mitchell is currently on the board of the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health at TTUHSC and applies her medical experience as a clinical instructor at the TTUHSC School of Medicine.

In addition to her leadership within the TTU System, Tornelli-Mitchell is an accomplished equestrian and actively competes at the regional and national levels in the discipline of dressage. Her love of horses and medicine led her to develop and grow the hippotherapy program at TTU, where she and her husband created the Tedd and Janet Mitchell Therapeutic Riding Scholarship Endowment.

Tornelli-Mitchell stays involved in the Lubbock community, serving as a member of the steering committee for the Lubbock County Expo Center, where she provides expertise for the development of the future equestrian center within the facility. In 2021, she was appointed to the Lubbock County Expo Center Local Government Corporation by the Lubbock County Commissioner’s Court to help oversee the design, construction and management of the center.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin and her medical degree from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB). Tornelli-Mitchell completed her internship and residency at UTMB (1988-1991), is certified by the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians.

The Mitchells met while studying medicine at UTMB and have practiced alongside each other for nearly two decades. With a team of health and wellness experts, the Mitchells authored Fit to Lead, which focuses on health and wellness in the body, mind and career.

They have three children: Katherine Schwartz, an assistant district attorney in Dallas; Charlie, a petroleum engineer in Dallas and TTU alumnus; and Chris, a TTU and Villanova alumnus, who is pursuing a career in the military. In 2020, they welcomed their first grandchild, Isabelle Grace, daughter of Katherine and her husband, Ben.