Maria-Gabriela Carrascalão Heard is a Knight International Journalism Fellow who led a project to bring better radio news to East Timor.

She was acting program manager and an executive producer for SBS Radio in Melbourne, Australia, from 2004 to mid-2007. She ensured that the twenty-seven programs she oversees meet SBS standards and policy in cooperation with the Sydney Production Center.

She headed SBS’ Portuguese Language Department from 1983 – 2001, when she joined the United Nations in Timor-Leste as head of media relations and a television and radio producer. From 2002 to 2004, Carrascalão worked for the United Nations Mission in Dili, where she served as head of television and radio, which produced material for use within Timor-Leste by the newly independent Public Broadcasting Service and material for use by the U.N. information.

She also produced, presented and researched for special TV and radio programs covering human rights and gender issues. Carrascalão was a high school teacher in Dili and later became East Timor’s first female journalist when she joined Radio Dili. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Lisbon and a post-graduate diploma in multicultural journalism from the University of Wollongong, Australia.