Glen "David" Via

Glen "David" Via serves as a Program Engineer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (AFRL/PZL), where he plays a critical technical and acquisition liaison role in advancing next-generation aerospace propulsion, hypersonics, and high-performance materials. His responsibilities include defining technical requirements, evaluating engineering solutions, and guiding the procurement process for research and development contracts aligned with the Department of Defense’s mission to sustain air and space dominance. Via specializes in early-stage R&D acquisitions, bridging laboratory innovation with operational capability through structured contracting pathways that prioritize technical feasibility, scalability, and transition readiness. He maintains sustained working relationships with leading aerospace and defense contractors including UES Inc., General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, with vendors often engaged in multi-year, phased development efforts involving propulsion system prototyping, thermal management materials, and adaptive flight control technologies. Via’s procurement approach emphasizes long-term vendor engagement, technical merit-based selection, and iterative prototyping under cost-reimbursable and time-and-materials contract vehicles. Via’s portfolio reflects a strict focus on unrestricted competition, with 100% of his acquisitions conducted under no set-aside categories, indicating a prioritization of technical capability over socioeconomic preferences. This pattern underscores a mission-critical emphasis on accessing the most advanced engineering talent and proprietary technologies, regardless of vendor size or certification status. His primary procurement focus lies within NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where he sources advanced materials, computational fluid dynamics modeling, propulsion system integration, and hypersonic test validation services. His domain expertise centers on high-temperature composites, rocket propulsion architectures, and materials for extreme environments, making him a key technical gatekeeper in the development of next-generation air and space propulsion systems.