Congratulations to this year’s outstanding alumni honorees!
Amber Concepcion – The 2025 Outstanding Public Service Award
Amber Concepcion has been serving as a Centre County commissioner since January 2023. As a commissioner, she chairs the Board of Elections, serves on the Human Services boards in the county, chairs the Public Safety Training Center board, and serves on several economic development boards. Her work centers on improving services and standard of living for all residents, especially those who are most vulnerable, and ensuring voting rights.
Prior to her appointment as a Commissioner, Amber served as the Board President of State College Area School District for nearly a decade (and 3 terms in office). She was a leader in the district’s successful voter referendum in 2014 to fund the construction of new state of the art buildings for the 2500 student high school campus. State College is only the second of two districts in the state ever to pass a voter referendum to exceed the state’s limits on school property tax increases. Amber led the district toward improved environmental stewardship and implementing district-wide equity and inclusion programs.
Amber is a 2001 graduate of Penn State University’s Political Science Department and the Schreyer Honors College. She earned her masters degree in Government from Georgetown University, with an emphasis in international law and politics, and security studies. Since relocating back to State College in 2007, Amber and her spouse run their own web development and design firm, and they have been actively involved in supporting other local entrepreneurs. Amber volunteers as a Girl Scout leader and spends most of her free time involved in her kids’ various activities.
Ilsa Doremus – The 2025 Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Ilsa Doremus, Penn State class of 2013, is a current real estate professional, former strategy consultant, and MBA graduate from Johns Hopkins University.
As a strategy consultant at Deloitte, she advised state government clients on strategic planning, data analytics, and program quality improvement. She was also the Chief of Staff for strategic growth opportunities in Deloitte’s Government and Public Sector Practice. In 2021, Ilsa left Deloitte for the opportunity to become a partner in her family real estate development business. As a partner and Vice President Ilsa continues to focus on strategic planning as well as financial & economic analysis.
Ilsa’s biggest accomplishments are being a mom to her 1-year-old daughter, Laima, and wife to her husband, Chad. She enjoys skiing, hiking, cheering on Penn State sports, and planning new travel adventures.
Gregory Wawro – The 2025 Outstanding Alumni Award
Gregory Wawro is Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, where he also directs the Political Analytics Program.
He was born to Patricia and Thaddeus Wawro in Pittsburgh, PA and was reborn at Penn State in the mid- to late-1980s, after Maya Spence suggested at freshman orientation that he pursue Political Science as a major.
Professors Jim Eisenstein and Larry Spence instilled in him an insatiable thirst for understanding political behavior and institutions, and put the crazy idea in his head that he could actually make a living at this by pursuing a career in academia. They gave him his starter set of tools for becoming a social scientist and opened the door to a fantastic life that he otherwise could not have imagined.
Gregory currently lives with his amazing wife and daughter in New Jersey.
