Harriet Smith is a former Research Associate in the Melanesia Program, where she worked primarily on the Aus-PNG Network. She holds a Master of International Studies from the University of Queensland, for which she undertook a research project on women in Fiji. During her undergraduate degree she spent a semester studying at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Her research interests include the Pacific Islands region, security, gender and sexuality, peace and conflict resolution, and the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence.