Sean Keel

Sean Keel is a professor in the Department of Mathematics at The University of Texas at Austin. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1989.

Keel's research focuses on algebraic geometry, with particular interests in moduli spaces, birational geometry, and mirror symmetry. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the 2025 American Mathematical Society's E.H. Moore Research Article Prize for the paper "Canonical Bases for Cluster Algebras," co-authored with Mark Gross, Paul Hacking, and Maxim Kontsevich.

Beyond his academic pursuits, Keel is also a songwriter and musician. He began playing guitar at the age of 45 and has since released solo albums and collaborated with his family band Bill the Pony.

Algebraic Geometry

Keel is an algebraic geometer with particular interests in moduli spaces and birational geometry.