Pulitzer Prize finalist Elizabeth Alexander is now a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets.

Alexander had the honour of reciting a poem at U.S. President Barack Obama’s first inauguration.

Also chosen as Chancellors are National Book Award finalist Linda Gregerson and award-winning poet-critic Alicia Suskin Ostriker.

Their duties will range from judging competitions – to consulting on programming.

Chancellors are voted on by the current board – and serve six-year terms.

Previous Chancellors include W.H. Auden, Adrienne Rich and John Ashbery.

The Academy of American Poets is a non-profit organization founded in 1934. It operates the Poets.org website – and organizes events for National Poetry Month in April.

The Academy also administers such prizes as the $100,000 Wallace Stevens Award for lifetime achievement.