Texas Tech University Chancellor Dr. Tedd Mitchell has announced his intention to retire within the year.
In a release from the Chancellor's office on Friday, Mitchell said he has shared his intentions with the Board of Regents, and more will be discussed at the next regularly scheduled Board of Regents meeting in August.
"As I look toward this next chapter, I feel called to spend more time with my family, who have supported me throughout this journey," Mitchell said. "Grandkids – having now four with another one on the way – will have that effect on you."
Mitchell, the university's fifth Chancellor, first joined the Texas Tech University system as president of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in 2010.
He is an Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Texas Medical Branch, where he received his Doctor of Medicine, as well as a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Sports Medicine.
He replaced former Texas Tech University Chancellor Robert Duncan in 2015. As Chancellor, Mitchell oversaw historic new additions to the university, including the Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine in El Paso and the School of Veterinary Medicine in Amarillo.
"My time as Chancellor has been defined by a profound sense of purpose," Mitchell said. "I am deeply proud of what we have achieved together and what more we will achieve in closing out this remarkable period in my career."
Mitchell said he intends to stay on as Chancellor while the Board of Regents searches for his successor to support a "thoughtful" transition.
The Board of Regents' next regular meeting will take place on August 14-15.