Jennifer Smith joined Refugees International as an Advocate in July 2009. Prior to joining RI, she worked with International Alert in the United Kingdom. At International Alert, her primary responsibility was to conduct field research in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to assess the effectiveness of aid programs. Ms. Smith began her career in peacekeeping and conflict resolution by working with DRC’s UN peacekeeping force, MONUC. She then spent 18 months in New York with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. She also served as a policy analyst for the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development in the UK, concentrating on international conflict and advocacy in conjunction with the Catholic Church in Africa. Ms. Smith has a Master’s degree from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado in International Affairs and Economics. She is fluent in French.