Administration & Staff

James Pierce began his creative career in the video industry, working with everything from local to international clients. However, he primarily worked to help non-profit clients. After over a decade worth of experience in video, he applied his expertise in motion and design and to web design and development. Prior to joining Belmont full-time in 2011, he started a company that allowed artists to create websites, without the need to know all the inter-workings of web design. James continues to design and build web applications that solve needs in the community, educational institutions and design industry. 

James's thesis for his MFA degree, entitled Natural User Interfaces in the Information Age, explored the history and changes in consumer-based computer interactions. He continues to research graphic and natural user interfaces and consults local entrepreneurs creating mobile and web design products.

James is married to a graphic designer and has two small dogs.

Before joining Watkins College of Art/Belmont University, Dr. Abadie-Mendia served as virtual instruction and engagement director at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). In this role, she provided leadership for instructional engagement initiatives and professional development for faculty. She has also served as a professor of graphic design for over 20 years at several institutions and held appointments as department chair, faculty graduate advisor, and thesis chair. With 30+ years of design practice experience, Dr. Abadie-Mendia brings to the classroom a diverse design perspective focusing on theory and practice. Her areas of design interest include the creative process, contextual research, typography, publication design, packaging, and information design. In the area of higher education administration, her areas of interest include program evaluation, curriculum development, assessment, and student engagement.

Dr. Abadie-Mendia was born and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico. She is married to her husband Victor and has a lovely stepdaughter, three dogs, and a grand kitty.

Before joining Watkins, Tingle was the program coordinator at Poverty and the Arts (POVA), where she created an artistic professional development curriculum, managed artwork as well as merchandise inventory and sales, and tracked artists’ progress within the program. Prior to her nonprofit work, she was a visual art teacher in local public schools. As a teacher, Tingle enjoyed the challenge of making connections between the arts and academic disciplines, all toward the goal of practical applications in our society. In addition to being an art educator and historian, Tingle is an arts advocate and practicing artist herself.

Joining the faculty in Fall of 2014, Katie Mitchell now serves the Watkins College of Art as Director of Galleries & Programming. She holds a BFA in Studio Art from Belmont University and an MFA in Painting and Sculpture from the University of South Carolina.

While study and residency opportunities have led her to such places as the Pacific Northwest, the Dutch Caribbean, and Italy, Katie was most recently selected as a participant in the Contemporary Chinese Art Institute’s summer program. This allowed her to travel to Beijing and Xi’an where she toured numerous art academies, visited museums, and worked directly with Chinese artists in the hopes of expanding their influence in the U.S.

Katie Mitchell lives in Franklin with her husband and three rambunctious dogs.

As a Belmont University Alumna, Elise Haines is excited to be back at Belmont in the role of Admissions Coordinator. Elise graduated in 2018 with a BFA in Art Education through the Watkins College. After graduating, Elise became an Elementary Art Teacher for K-5 in surrounding schools. Elise firmly believes in the importance of the arts in education and beyond.  She advocates for pursuing a field that feeds your soul and makes the world more colorful. As a practicing artist, Elise creates with painting, photography, and mixed media. 

Elise Haines can be found eating Mexican food, playing with her cat, or traveling the globe in her spare time. 

Before joining Belmont as a Program Assistant, Paul worked a few jobs around Nashville including one at Five Daughters Bakery. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Paul received his bachelor’s degree in International Politics from Penn State University and worked as a Staff Assistant for the US Senate based in Scranton, PA. Though his formal education and previous full-time work focused on public service, he has been passionate about the arts his whole life. A musician first, he played saxophone in marching band throughout his education in addition to singing and playing guitar. He firmly believes that students should study and follow their passions, learning about subjects that bring them joy.

Paul can be found performing around Nashville, drinking coffee and reading the news, or trying to find the best cheesesteak in town.

As a Nashville native, I absolutely love living in my hometown and working at Belmont! I am truly passionate about my work in career development and find enjoyment in assisting our students and alumni with identifying and pursuing their own passions. I always knew I wanted to pursue a career helping others, which is why I chose my undergraduate major of Psychology with a minor in Sociology. After working in recruiting for a few years, I joined the Career Development team in 2010 and have spent the past 10+ years providing career coaching services to students and alumni, cultivating employer relationships and managing marketing, communications and social media for our office. I previously served as President of the Tennessee Association of Colleges and Employers, our state professional association. In my free time, I enjoy hiking with my family and German Shepherd, hosting friends for backyard gatherings, cooking, reading and traveling.