TV project puts on a search for the next — female — MacGyver

Angus MacGyver was a spy who used his powers of engineering to solve problems on ABC television in the 1980s. But that was enough to inspire many to enter the field.

“I literally could not tell you how many times people have come up to me and said, ‘I became an engineer, or I went into the sciences because of MacGyver,’” says show creator Lee Zlotoff.

But not enough of those inspired were women. So Zlotoff and others are seeking to reboot the series with a female at the helm — or at least use the idea to create more storylines with female scientists and engineers as protagonists. Zlotoff teamed up with some of the country's top engineering associations and schools to hold a contest for script ideas. The deadline for entries was May 1.

They'll announce five winners this summer for what's being called "The Next MacGyver." Each will receive $5,000 and the chance to work with a Hollywood producer to develop a script. Winners will also be matched with an engineering mentor. One of those mentors is Maja Matarić, vice dean for research at the University of Southern California.

Matarić says mass media can have a huge impact on the career choices that young people make — she cites the number of students who chose to study forensics after the popularity of the show CSI. She says The Next MacGyver hopes to create the same kind of excitement around engineering, especially for young women. She also hopes that a MacGyver reboot could help break down stereotypes around engineering, including the idea that it’s boring or dull.

Matarić says young women who want to enter engineering face a particular struggle. Often, she says, when girls “hear ‘no’ or receive negative messaging, they internalize it and they believe that it applies to them specifically.” However some neuroscience studies that show that typically, “when men are told ‘no’, the way that [they] process it is ‘not now,’” she says. This helps young men develop the tenacity to succeed in the STEM fields, but keeps young women discouraged." She wants to see more young women adopt this “not now” attitude.

Matarić’s has advice for young people interested in engineering — especially women. “Believe in what you want to do,” she says, “and above all, do something meaningful.”