Matt Smith is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is pursuing a major in Government and a minor in Arabic. Matt’s focus is on global policy and the effects of humanitarian intervention, specifically in the Middle East and North Africa. Last spring, while working as a research assistant for Dr. Alan J. Kuperman of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, Matt completed a research project that analyzed the effectiveness of the NATO intervention in Libya. Matt is currently building upon this research experience as a Robert S. Strauss Next Generation Scholar. As a Bill Archer Fellow, Matt hopes to improve his analytical skills and research capabilities while working as an intern at the Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. After graduation, Matt hopes to obtain work that will enable him to acquire policy relevant experience in either D.C. or the Middle East before he returns to pursue his Master’s degree in International Relations.