In this talk, I will describe recent developments in M-theory
compactifications on G_2 manifolds. I will begin by reviewing some of the
long-standing issues in string/M-theory phenomenology and discuss how
M-theory compactified on a G_2 orbifold with co-dimension four
singularities leads to additional gauge fields at the orbifold fixed
points. I will outline the construction of M-theory on such singular
spaces and show that the resulting four-dimensional theory has N=1
supersymmetry. I'll further consider the effects of switching on flux and
Wilson lines on singular loci of the G_2 space, and discuss current work
on incorporating co-dimension seven singularities into this construction
and the rich new arena for four-dimensional phenomenology that it will
provide.
