Michael Trotti

Michael Trotti is a Professor and Legal Studies Coordinator in the History Department at Ithaca College. His research focuses on social and cultural history in the United States, with special attention to race, class, law, and punishment. He teaches courses on American social history, popular culture, and legal history, including 1968: A U.S. Revolution, Workers in American History, and Rights & Wrongs: The History of American Law. Trotti holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an undergraduate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.

His 2022 book The End of Public Execution: Race, Religion, and Punishment in the American South examines racial dynamics in penal practices. Earlier work includes The Body in the Reservoir: Murder and Sensationalism in the South, analyzing cultural narratives around crime. He has also published in academic journals like Journal of Social History and Journal of American History, and engages in public-facing writing through platforms like The Edge and the AHA's Perspectives Online.

Trotti’s career includes a unique path: he apprenticed as a bookbinder before completing his undergraduate studies. His research emphasizes how historical changes affected marginalized groups, particularly through the lens of race, class, and gender. He regularly contributes to interdisciplinary conversations, such as the Still a Mystery course exploring unknowns across disciplines.