I3@USD-Fall 2025

F or Taylor Wong ’19 (CS), blending a career in cybersecurity with a passion for music isn’t a contradiction — it’s a calling. Now a senior product manager at Microsoft, working on the Customer Experience Engineering Team for Microsoft Threat Protection, Wong lives in Vancouver, Washington,

“There weren’t many women in CS, and I wanted to change that,” she says. Her time at USD built the confidence she now channels into both boardrooms and ballads. “I used to be afraid to show the emotional side of me,” Wong reflects.

Back home, Wong has kept the momentum going with local shows in Portland and a 45-minute set at Wieden+Kennedy’s “Tiny Nest” series. She started collaborating with a band, growing as a performer and embracing the title of singer songwriter. At the University of San Diego,

and the painstaking process of FDA approval. Yet perseverance is starting to pay off. The company is launching pilots at medical institutions like Sharp Chula Vista, while also collaborating with the Mayo Clinic’s AI accelerator. Their technology — initially envisioned as hardware alone — has evolved into a powerful data-driven platform that gives nurses and clinicians actionable insights on their phones, reducing risks and improving patient-centered care. Funding has been another challenge. Shao recalls the difficulty of fundraising in 2024, when venture capital seemed out of reach. But validation from clinicians reignited momentum, and smaller investors stepped in to keep the vision alive. “We could have pursued more lucrative paths,” Shao admits, “but this work is vitally important. Seeing positive clinical reception has changed our morale and confirmed we’re on the right track.” The company has evolved since its initial founding. “If you had asked me seven years ago what our product was going to be, I would have told you it was going to be about hardware,” Shao states. “That is still part of the focus, but it’s really about using high-frequency data to predict and prevent negative patient outcomes. Now it’s more about the data.” As Darroch Medical Solutions moves closer to commercialization, Shao remains focused on the ultimate goal: transforming healthcare delivery into a system where risks are caught early, care is truly patient-centered and technology serves humanity.

and spends her days navigating complex technical landscapes. But when the workday ends, she steps into a different spotlight: one Melodies and Meaning filled with microphones, melodies and meaning. Music has always been part of Wong was an extraordinary leader in computer science (CS), serving on the Mortar Board and as an officer for the Association for Computer Machiners. “Now I realize that authenticity is why we do what we do.” Whether in cybersecurity or on stage, Taylor Wong is a reminder that we all hold multitudes — and every part deserves to be heard.

Tech Serves Humanity

Wong’s life. “I’ve been writing songs since I was 7,” she says. “I usually start with a poem, and compose the arrangement, then add a melody.” A move to Portland, Oregon, introduced her to a vibrant artistic scene; and in July 2024, she entered a recording studio for the first time. It was intimidating, but transformative. “They dimmed the lights so I couldn’t see anyone,” she laughs. “It helped me open up.” In just a few short months, Wong released five singles and caught the attention of Patrick Bradley from Bradley School of Music. A spontaneous cover of an Ariana Grande song posted online led to an invitation to submit her music for a global opportunity. The result? Wong, now known artistically as Taylor Alyssa, was one of four American artists selected to perform at China’s Red Note Global Village Musical Festival — her first international trip beyond Canada and Mexico. The Valentine’s Day event was televised live to an audience of thousands.

W hen Anthony Shao ’18 (EE/ BBA) first considered his career path, healthcare was not at the top of his list. As an engineering student, he spent a summer interning with a defense contractor, grateful for the opportunity but struck by a roommate’s blunt question: “Do That moment of reflection changed everything. Soon after, he connected with USD’s Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science and found a more meaningful purpose: using technology to address various urgent challenges in patient care. With critical help from De Sanctis Professor of Engineering and Entrepreneurship Venkat Shastri, PhD, and USD’s Engineering and Entrepreneurship Program, that spark grew into Darroch Medical Solutions, a you realize you’re working in an industry built to harm people?”

health-tech company Shao co-founded and now leads as CEO. The venture has spent the past seven years developing a platform that leverages high-frequency patient data to predict adverse events before they arise — from identifying restlessness markers to prevent dangerous falls and bed injuries to identifying early metabolic markers of sepsis. “Every engineer’s weakness is focusing only on the product,” Shao explained. “At USD, I gained a holistic view of the human, clinical and technological sides of healthcare. That perspective has guided everything we’ve built.” Darroch’s journey has not been an easy one. Shao now understands what Shastri meant when he described the CEO role as “the loneliest job in the world,” marked by long stretches of uncertainty, rejections from investors

12 USD ENGINEERING