Abstract: This seminar will describe the design of catalytic strategies for activating and functionalizing carbon-hydrogen bonds, carbon dioxide, and simple olefins. Specifically, we will discuss the scope and mechanism of a number of transition metal-catalyzed processes, including Rh-catalyzed hydroacylation, Ni-catalyzed carboxylation, and Pd-catalyzed oxidation. These methods transform relatively simple precursors into valuable organic products, including lactones, carboxylic acids, diols, and heterocycles.