Is use of the word "via" appropriate in an academic essay? In many cases the words via and through are interchangeable. However, is via viewed as acceptable to use among the academic community, typically?

I personally have a distaste for it, but that doesn't really mean much.
There is nothing wrong with the word "via," and in fact I personally have a weakness for it: sometimes it just feels more elegant and specific than alternatives like "through" or "by means of."  I also, however, have a weakness for a lot of somewhat archaic phrases, due to spending a lot of my childhood reading old books.  

The general principle which I think academic writing should subscribe to is Orwell's notion of "transparent prose," in which the words are as clear as a window, letting one through to the ideas with minimal obstruction.  Using too many unusual words, such as a lot of "via" and "thus" can be distracting, particularly for an international audience.  Sometimes, though, a word is simply fit and elegant in its context, and there is no reason to avoid using it.