“This award means a lot to me because it acknowledges not just educational accomplishments, but also the unseen challenges that come with getting to this point,” Dossa said. “I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities Georgia Tech has given me and for the support system that helped me along the way.” 

Dossa is completing his undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering with a minor in computer science and is currently enrolled in Georgia Tech’s BS/MS Honors program in aerospace engineering.  

Since arriving on campus, Dossa has a wide range of academic, research, and industry experiences. As a first-year student, he participated in the Yellow Jacket Space Program, contributing to the propulsion team and gaining hands on experience building liquid propellant rockets that helped shape his academic interests. He later conducted research in the Computational Combustion Lab under the advisement of Suresh Menon. 

Dossa also completed a co-op with Delta Air Lines as part of the airline’s structures engineering group, gaining valuable industry insight that later inspired his entrepreneurial work. In 2023, he became a founding member of the Georgia Tech Supersonics Club, where he helped establish the team’s propulsion division and continues to support their ongoing efforts to develop the first supersonic aircraft designed and flown by students. The club has since grown to more than 200 members and is advised by Research Engineer Jimmy Tai. 

Beyond research and student organizations, Dossa has also explored aerospace innovation through entrepreneurship. He joined Endeavor Elements as a founding engineer, helping drive the development of advanced turbulence suppression technologies to improve aircraft efficiency and safety.  

More recently, Dossa turned his focus toward autonomous control and decision making, working in Georgia Tech’s Autonomous Control and Decision Systems (ACDS) Lab under Professor Evangolous Theodorou. His research interests include autonomous flight systems, AI-enabled control, and robotics, with applications ranging from vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft to space systems. He has also contributed to projects in the Laboratory for Intelligent Decision and Autonomous Robotics (LiDAR) and supported NASA related research on autonomy and machine learning. 

Dossa plans to continue exploring autonomy and applied-AI through graduate study, research, and internships, while remaining open to future entrepreneurial ventures. 

“I’ve learned that curiosity and getting involved in diverse experiences can open doors you didn’t even know existed,” he said. “Georgia Tech gave me the space to explore, fail, learn, and grow.” 

Chirag Patel, who served as Dossa’s advisor since his first year at Georgia Tech, nominated Dossa for the Aviation Week’s 20 Twenties award. Dossa also credits his parents – Mr. Tabrez Dossa and Mrs. Shagufta Dossa - for their continued encouragement and support throughout his academic journey. 

As part of the recognition, Dossa will be honored at an Aviation Week awards ceremony in March in Washington, D.C., where he will join fellow recipients and established leaders from across the aerospace industry.