Aleyna Hein

Aleyna Hein is a 2026–2027 Self Memorial Scholar pursuing her M.A. in Interaction and User Experience Design at the University of Kansas. She earned her B.F.A. in Interaction Design with a minor in Psychology from KU, graduating with distinction as a member of the University Honors Program and as a founding member of KU's inaugural undergrad Interaction Design cohort. Her design foundation spans UX/UI, graphic design, user research, and human behavior, deepened by study abroad experiences in Cuba, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan. During her undergraduate studies, Aleyna served as a teaching assistant, IXD Student Ambassador, and completed a product design internship for boater tech with Garmin Marine. She received the School of Architecture and Design Professional Advisory Board Merit Award for the outstanding design of "Lemmy", an AI companion robot that engages older adults in meaningful conversation and documents those moments into lasting digital memoirs, and was also recognized for Best Web Interaction Design by the National Student Show. Aleyna will continue her work as a Product Designer for pilot apps at Garmin Aviation while pursuing her graduate degree, and through her thesis, she plans to combine her passion for human-AI interaction, health and wellness, and emerging tech into a product that genuinely improves people's lives.