Amy Lyndaker was honored at the Cornell President’s Awards for Employee Excellence on December 3rd, 2025. She won the Thoughtful Leader award, presented to Cornell employees who consistently demonstrate a high level of commitment and dedication to their employees and colleagues and who live the values of learning, discovery, and engagement at Cornell.

Amy is an exceptional leader who embodies the values of this award. As Lab Manager of the EpiGenomics Core (EGC) Facility, she oversees complex operations while fostering an environment where learning, discovery, and belonging flourish. Amy mentors technicians, graduate students, and postdocs across Cornell’s Ithaca and Weill campuses, sharing her epigenomics expertise and nurturing future scientists. Initiative defines Amy’s leadership. She anticipates her team’s and research community’s needs, devising strategies to solve technical challenges and streamline workflows. Her foresight has positioned EGC as a national leader in epigenomic technology. Her national presence, including regular Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) presentations and serving as a Cornell ambassador, bolsters the university’s reputation as a premier place for science and professional growth. Amy consistently exceeds expectations by adopting new technologies that keep Cornell at the forefront of discovery.

Amy’s commitment to growth is clear in her own career and investment in others. Amy tackles challenging projects under tight deadlines, delivering quality results amid evolving technologies. She pursues training for herself and encourages her team to attend workshops, present at conferences, and build expertise that expands EGC’s capabilities. By modeling lifelong learning, she inspires continuous improvement and innovation. Amy’s vision for EGC is compelling: a hub of excellence, collaboration, and inclusion accelerating impactful research. She communicates this clearly, motivating her team to work with purpose and precision. Inclusion is central to Amy’s leadership. She fosters a community where every team member feels valued and supported. She promotes work-life balance with flexibility while upholding high standards.

Amy exemplifies Cornell’s Core Values of Purposeful Discovery and Changing Lives through Public Engagement. Her work advances health and disease research while her national outreach spreads epigenomics best practices broadly. She bridges disciplines, institutions, and career stages, strengthening the scientific community and uplifting those she mentors. In all interactions, Amy shows professionalism, empathy, and a sincere commitment to others’ success. She empowers staff, colleagues, and trainees to reach their full potential and advancing Cornell’s mission of learning, discovery, and engagement. Congratulations to Amy on her well-deserved award and recognition!