This story is part of a series honoring the recipients of the 2025 Founders Day Awards, which celebrates the outstanding service of faculty, staff, and learners to the university and the UCSF community in fulfillment of the university’s mission of advancing health worldwide.
A smile can speak volumes.
That’s why giving them to everyone is important to UCSF dental student Belle Lao-Ngo.
“When you smile, it’s often the first thing that someone sees,” she said in receiving the 2025 Chancellor Award for Public Service. “I also think that the mouth is really the window to the rest of the body. Giving people more confidence in their smiles is why I love dentistry so much.”
As a daughter and granddaughter of Asian immigrants who immigrated to the U.S. during the Vietnam War, Lao-Ngo’s dedication to oral health was inspired by her family’s journey, particularly her grandmother.
“Growing up, I saw that my grandparents and family had a lot of dental and medical problems when they were going to appointments,” Lao-Ngo said.
So, she mobilized to help others like them.
That drive led Lao-Ngo straight to San Francisco’s Chinatown YMCA, where she now works directly with Asian families to create and improve their dental habits – mainly through workshops that teach residents how to brush and floss their teeth.
“It’s just teaching them about dental care,” she said.
The project has been instrumental in connecting UCSF to those in need of guidance.
“I think, for myself coming from a Chinese immigrant background, to connect with families and provide this education about oral health is really meaningful for me,” she said. “There are so many opportunities to connect UCSF with the community.”
Lao-Ngo hopes this bridge to the Chinatown YMCA is “a stepping stone” for future collaborations between UCSF and places like Chinatown.
The UCSF Founders Day Awards celebrate the outstanding service of faculty, staff, and learners to the university and the UCSF community in fulfillment of the university’s mission of advancing health worldwide.
People making a difference.
The UCSF Founders Day Awards celebrate the outstanding service of faculty, staff, and learners to the university and the UCSF community in fulfillment of the university’s mission of advancing health worldwide.