UW–Platteville alumna Rochelle Ripp, the current Alice in Dairyland, is taking over the UW System @uwpowersme Twitter feed this week.

Ripp is Wisconsin’s 65th Alice in Dairyland, serving as the state’s agriculture ambassador. She educates audiences statewide about the $59 billion economic impact the agriculture industry has in Wisconsin. Ripp is well versed in social media, as both her Facebook and Twitter accounts have more than 1,000 followers.

“We’re so proud to call Rochelle a Pioneer, and to have her as the first alumni voice on the @uwpowersme account is special,” said Sarah Miller, UW–Platteville’s director of social community. “She has done an outstanding job as an ambassador for agriculture in her role as the 2012-13 Alice in Dairyland, and I have no doubt she’ll do the same this week as a representative of UW–Platteville.”

Knowledge Powers Wisconsin is a UW System initiative that promotes the 13 four-year and 13 two-year educational institutions and their successful impacts on stronger workforces, businesses and communities. UW–Platteville has been a leader in the new website and the @uwpowersme Twitter feed. Student Jamie Procarione was the first user of the Twitter feed.

“The account has grown by leaps and bounds since it began in late January,” said Miller. “If you take a look at the followers of the account, it’s a list that’s really representative of the concept as a whole: there are people from every part of Wisconsin; students, faculty and staff and alumni from all over, whose lives and careers have been impacted and powered by their UW education. And that’s the point: we all have this in common. We share something special.”

Ripp is a 2009 graduate of UW–Platteville, where she earned an agribusiness degree in communications. The Lodi native was the commencement speaker at UW–Platteville’s December 2012 ceremonies.