Hi, I’m Leon — a human-computer interaction researcher with a background in engineering and design.

In high school, I loved both physics and art but struggled to find ways to connect them. When I started college, my dream was to work in animation. I spent late nights learning Blender and founded WashU’s first animation club.

But along the way, I stumbled into something unexpected: I didn’t just want to animate digital worlds. I wanted to build ways to interact with them.

That curiosity led me into VR/AR, then to robotics, and eventually to human-computer interaction (HCI). I became fascinated by how the digital and physical could be woven together.

Today, I finally find myself in spaces where design and engineering meet. If you also have a desire to make interactions more intuitive, expressive, and embodied, let's connect!

Education
Education
University of Chicago
University of Chicago

Sept 2025 – Dec 2026

Pre-Doctoral MS in Computer Science

• Advisor: Pedro Lopes


Coursework: Inventing and Engineering Interactive Devices, Intro to HCI, Computer Systems, Mathematical Toolkit

Pre-Doctoral MS in Computer Science

• Advisor: Pedro Lopes


Coursework: Inventing and Engineering Interactive Devices, Intro to HCI, Computer Systems, Mathematical Toolkit

Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis

Aug 2021 – May 2025

BS in Applied Science

• Majors in Systems Science & Engineering and Design

• Minors in Human-Computer Interaction and Robotics


Coursework: Robotics Dynamics and Control, Multidisciplinary Prototyping and Design, Control Systems, Sensors and Actuators, Object-Oriented Programming, Digital Fabrication, Advanced Interaction Design, UX Research Methods, Optimization, Circuits, Probability and Statistics

BS in Applied Science

• Majors in Systems Science & Engineering and Design

• Minors in Human-Computer Interaction and Robotics


Coursework: Robotics Dynamics and Control, Multidisciplinary Prototyping and Design, Control Systems, Sensors and Actuators, Object-Oriented Programming, Digital Fabrication, Advanced Interaction Design, UX Research Methods, Optimization, Circuits, Probability and Statistics

Stanford University
Stanford University

Jun – Aug 2023

Summer Session

Coursework: Computer Graphics, Client-Side Internet Technologies, Computer Organization and Systems

Summer Session

Coursework: Computer Graphics, Client-Side Internet Technologies, Computer Organization and Systems

Last Update: March, 2026

© Leon Zhechen Zhao 2026