Celebrating postdoctoral researchers in CFANS
September 15, 2025
This week, CFANS joins universities across the country in celebrating National Postdoc Appreciation Week. Postdoctoral researchers are vital to our college’s mission—they advance discovery, mentor students, and help address pressing challenges facing Minnesota and the world.
Meet some of our outstanding CFANS postdoctoral researchers, and don't miss a week's worth of celebratory events for our postdoc community.
Danny Gotarkar, PhD
Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology
CFANS Postdoc Board Engagement and Social Chair
Research focus
Danny Gotarkar studies aquatic invasive species (AIS) in Minnesota’s lakes and rivers, including starry stonewort and hydrilla. Using molecular tools like eDNA and genomics, he tracks how invasive species spread and affect ecosystems. A key part of his work is developing simple, color-based AIS detection tools that can be used by lake associations, citizen scientists, and managers to spot new invasions early.
What excites him most
“My research has the potential to directly change how we monitor and manage invasive species,” Gotarkar said. “It’s powerful to give communities the tools they need to protect their own lakes and rivers.”
Why CFANS
Gotarkar came to the University of Minnesota because of its strong partnerships in natural resources and invasive species management. “CFANS provides the perfect collaborative environment to bridge molecular biology with real-world conservation challenges,” he said.
Advice for grad students or aspiring researchers
"Follow your curiosity and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Science is collaborative, and finding mentors and peers who support you can make the journey much more rewarding. I’d also encourage students to develop skills that connect their science to broader audiences whether that’s data analysis, coding, or communication. Being able to translate your work for managers, policymakers, and the public is what turns good science into meaningful impact."
Bonnie Horgos, PhD
Forest Resources
Research focus
Bonnie Horgos works with Michael Dockry, PhD, in the Department of Forest Resources to study trends in the wildfire workforce and address systemic barriers to participation and representation. Her research highlights the importance of integrating Indigenous knowledge and cultural fire practices into modern fire management.
What excites her most
“This work is deeply personal for me, as I grew up in California and have friends and family who lost homes to wildfires,” Horgos said. “I’m excited to learn more about Indigenous and prescribed fire practices as tools for improving forest health, and to support Indigenous scholars who are leading the way.”
Why CFANS
Horgos earned her PhD in Social Work at the University of Minnesota and sought a postdoc where she could grow as a researcher while connecting with her heritage. “From my first meeting with Michael Dockry, I knew he would be an incredible mentor,” she said. “And since my grandfather was a forester, joining the Department of Forest Resources also felt like coming full circle.”
Advice for grad students or aspiring researchers
"I often tell people that it's more important to find a mentor who aligns with you theoretically/philosophically than it is to work with someone who studies the exact same subject as you," said Horgos. "If you find the right fit, your mentor may not be an 'expert' in your particular area, but they will support your ability to think critically as a scholar, which is vital in this profession."
Tyler Butts, PhD
Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology
Research focus
Tyler works to connect zooplankton ecology with ecosystem services such as water quality and fisheries, using data from hundreds of Minnesota lakes. His research models the understudied role of zooplankton in sustaining freshwater ecosystems and provides tools to help lake managers make informed decisions.
What excites him most
"The chance to have a direct hand in giving tools to lake and natural resource managers across the state to help mange freshwater ecosystems in the face intensifying ecological stressors including climate change, invasive species, salt and nutrient pollution, and lake management itself. Zooplankton are key indicators of lake health as they can rapidly respond to change and are a direct link between the lowest and highest rungs of the food web in lakes. I have spent my career leveraging their importance within freshwater ecosystems to understand how disturbances impact ecosystem services, and I am thrilled I will be able to expand that work to a statewide level with this postdoc."
Why CFANS
After a brief federal position ended unexpectedly, Butts joined the Walsh Lab in CFANS to apply his expertise in data science and freshwater ecology to lakes across Minnesota. “The University provided the perfect opportunity to continue contributing to science that can have a direct impact on how we manage lakes in the face of global change,” he said.
Advice for grad students or aspiring researchers
"Don’t despair at the left turns your research will ultimately take, but lean into them. Being a scientist means letting the data lead you! If you frame your questions and hypotheses where the only interesting result is if there is a significant p-value at the end of it, you are inevitably going to be disappointed. If you see 'negative' results, how can that lead you to new insights? Sometimes the fact that a relationship you were expecting to be significant is not, IS the story!"
