Michelle Vitali

Michelle Vitali is a Professor in the Department of Art and co-director of the Institute for Forensic Sciences. She created and leads the Illustration program at Pennwest Edinboro.

A painter, scientific illustrator and forensic artist, Vitali has worked across disciplines to apply fine arts principles in non-art fields, particularly in the sciences.

Research areas have included: the efficacy of 3D facial reconstruction, the reconstruction of humans from antiquity with modified crania, a comparison of the utility of drawn versus photographic images in identification, and the uses of applying phenotyping in facial reconstruction.

Vitali’s paintings have been exhibited widely in the U.S. and abroad, her scientific and other illustrations published in medical, editorial, and children’s book contexts, and her forensic work for coroners, law enforcement and archaeologists has received widespread attention, including from major media outlets such as Reuters, Washington Post and the New York Times, and streaming outlets such as Netflix and multiple podcasts.