Dr. Matt Wahila

Dr. Wahila is a PhD physicist, research scientist, and educator at Binghamton University, where he currently works investigating next-generation Li-ion battery materials, solar cell materials, hardware-based machine learning, and other emerging technologies.

He has been involved in local community organizing and advocacy for many years, working to address issues such as climate change, economic justice, and environmental conservation. He is also a member of his local Democratic Committee and the current chairperson of his town’s Tree Committee.

Dr. Wahila is running in Broome County's 7th district in Upstate NY, composed of a diverse mix of rural, residential, and commercial areas (including a large industrial complex that previously housed IBM, which is now becoming home to a Li-ion battery gigafactory, a solar cell manufacturer, and several other high-tech manufacturing businesses). He has deep roots in this district, which his family has called home for generations after immigrating to the U.S. from Italy and Czechoslovakia in the early 1900s. His connection to the area and his in-depth knowledge of renewable energy technologies, next-generation computing technologies, and advanced microelectronic manufacturing make him the perfect candidate to oversee the coming shift of District 7’s struggling economy into a booming green economy that can help the nation address climate change, while producing good-paying, environmentally-friendly jobs.