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If Lauren Baron is any representation of the up-and-coming generation of scientists and engineers, then our future is going to be filled with innovative solutions.

At just 21 years old, this University of Delaware undergraduate has already developed a program that combines art therapy, physical therapy and virtual reality — and hopefully a bit of fun — for stroke patients working through their upper limb mobility challenges.

“This was my first time working with virtual reality. It was all new to me,” said Baron, recalling her first year at UD’s College of Engineering. By the end of the summer, she conducted a preliminary study — another first for this honors student. It was also her first time working online, since the second half of Baron’s first year coincided with the lockdowns due to COVID-19 in 2020.