With this National Science Foundation Young Investigator (NYI) award, the Synthetic Organic Program of the Chemistry Division is supporting the research and teaching activities of Dr. Craig A. Merlic of the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles. The focus of Professor Merlic's research will be the study of organometallic radical reactions. The chemistry of polyenyl organic radicals bonded to transition metal fragments will be investigated to develop new synthetic organic reactions and to understand the nature of organometallic radical intermediates. The focus of Dr. Merlic's teaching activities will be on course and laboratory curriculum development in organic chemistry at both the undergraduate and graduate level.