David Van Wie
Dr. David Van Wie became the Head of the Air and Missile Defense Sector of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory on January 7, 2019. Dr. Van Wie is responsible for strategic planning, execution, and performance of more than $350M in annual funding in programs advancing the ability of the nation to defend itself and its allies against airborne and ballistic threats. As the nation’s largest University Affiliated Research Center, APL performs research and development on behalf of the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, National Aeronautics Space Administration, and other federal agencies. The Laboratory has more than 7,000 staff members who are making critical contributions to a wide variety of nationally and globally significant technical and scientific challenges.
Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Van Wie served as Mission Area Executive for Precision Strike focusing on advanced weapon development, electromagnetic spectrum dominance, and novel long-range detection and targeting systems through revolutionary application of technologies in the areas of hypersonics, adaptive coordination of discrete kinetic and nonkinetic systems, and upstream data fusion.
Dr. Van Wie has also played key roles in major studies conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, USAF Scientific Advisory Board, and the Defense Science Board investigating a broad range of topics including hypersonic strike systems, ballistic and cruise missile defenses, reusable boosters for space launch, and hybrid warfare. He has previously served as a member of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board and the National Academies Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board. Dr. Van Wie holds a research faculty position in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, and he has also lectured extensively in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland in the areas of hypersonics, fluid dynamics, and space propulsion.
Dr. Van Wie was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2017. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and is a recipient of the Air Force Award for Meritorious Civilian Service. Dr. Van Wie has been an active member of the U.S. science and technology community, and has published more than 140 papers in the fields of hypersonics, high-temperature fluid dynamics, airbreathing propulsion, and plasma aerodynamics. He was recognized for sustained contributions to the Joint Army, Navy, NASA, and Air Force (JANNAF) Airbreathing Propulsion Subcommittee.
Dr. Van Wie earned his Bachelor of Science (summa cum laude), Master of Science, and Ph.D. degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland as well as a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University.