Welcoming Grace Costantino, BHL Outreach and Communication Manager

Grace Costantino, BHL Program Manager. Image Credit: MYH Photography.

We are pleased to announce that Grace Costantino has joined BHL as our new Outreach and Communication Manager!

Grace is no stranger to BHL. She started with the project back in 2008 as a BHL Librarian at the Smithsonian Libraries, after which she served as the BHL Program Manager from 2012-2013. Over her years on BHL, she has helped shape the program’s digitization workflow, assisted in the implementation and administration of the user feedback system, facilitated strategic planning efforts, organized evaluation and reporting policies, spearheaded marketing and promotional activities, performed financial administration, and developed and managed BHL’s outreach and communication strategy.

In her new capacity, Grace will further refine BHL’s outreach strategy, expand social media initiatives, supervise marketing and promotional activities, and engage with the public to excite audiences about the wealth of biodiversity heritage and knowledge available in BHL while also educating them about its critical importance to modern scientific, conservation, and informatics efforts.

Grace with her husband, Justin, and their dog, Jack. Image Credit: MYH Photography.

Grace received her BA in Studio Art, Graphic Design, and Art History, as well as her Master’s degree in Information Systems and Management, from the University of Maryland, College Park. She currently resides in Crofton, Maryland, with her husband, Justin (a middle school art teacher), and their dog, Jack. Her hobbies include drawing, painting, reading, writing fiction, watching fantasy and sci-fi movies, and traveling. She hopes to one day travel to every US state and continent. She has 21 states and 4 continents to go…Come on BHL-Antarctica!

The BHL Outreach and Communication Manager position is part of the BHL Secretariat, housed at the Smithsonian Libraries. The position is made possible in part through funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (Grant number LG-00-14-0032-14).