M.S.W. Clinical, Children and Families, Southern Connecticut State University
M.S. Forensic Science, Advanced Investigation, University of New Haven
B.S. Law Enforcement Administration, University of New Haven
A.S. Law Enforcement Administration, University of New Haven
Lisa M. Dadio is a retired police Lieutenant with the New Haven Police Department in Connecticut. She spent approximately 16 years in the detective division, as a detective, Sergeant and then Lieutenant, commanding the Major Crimes Unit. She spent approximately four years in the crime scene unit as a detective, processing over two hundred crime scenes ranging from vandalism to homicides.
The most high-profile case she investigated was the murder of Annie Le, a Yale graduate student who disappeared just days before she was to be married. Working closely with other law enforcement professionals, including those with the FBI and the Connecticut State Police, Prof. Dadio and her fellow investigators were quickly able to solve the case, and the suspect was later convicted and sentenced to 44 years in prison. Prof. Dadio was recognized by the Connecticut State Police and personally thanked by the special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Haven field office for her work on the case.
See MoreSince retiring from the New Haven Police Department in 2012, she has worked in higher education, teaching courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level.
In July 2020, she was named director of the University of New Haven’s Center for Advanced Policing.
In 2022, she helped the University secure a $1 million grant from the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) supporting a de-escalation training program that will be offered for police departments across the Northeast. The University is one of only six regional de-escalation training centers across the country that provides law enforcement training that is approved by the Department of Justice.
With a central focus on criminal investigations and crime scene investigations, she has coordinated several regional detective trainings with the New Haven Police Department. She has developed relationships with nationally recognized leaders throughout the country that she often confers with to design agency-specific training opportunities for all police ranks, ranging from cadets through command staff.
In addition to her connections throughout the law enforcement community, she has built relationships with community partners centering on mental health, domestic violence, juvenile challenges, sexual assaults, bias crimes, and child abuse. During her 20 years in law enforcement, she has trained thousands of officers in the state of Connecticut in crime scene investigations, domestic violence, sexual abuse, child abuse and bias and hate crimes.
She regularly appears in local, regional, and national media, sharing her expertise on law enforcement matters and crime scene investigations. A three-time graduate of the University of New Haven, Prof. Dadio started in the police academy the day after graduating from the University of New Haven with her master’s degree in forensic science. She went on to earn her master’s in social work from Southern Connecticut State University.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and coordinator of the M.S. in Investigations program, was quoted from her interview with The U.S. Sun on people's fascination with serial killers.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and coordinator of the M.S. in Investigations program, says that in an investigation a recovered body in and of itself is like a “mini-crime scene.”
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, coordinator of the M.S. in Investigations program, and senior lecturer of forensic science, discusses the case of four students at the University of Idaho who were murdered and how forensic science will be a major factor in solving the case.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, coordinator of the M.S. in Investigations program, and senior lecturer of forensic science, discusses domestic violence, pedestrian fatalities, and a $1 million grant the university received to support police de-escalation training.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio and Lorenzo Boyd discuss the $1 million grant the University of New Haven received from the Department of Justice to support de-escalation training for police officers across the northeast. Dadio is an assistant dean of Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, coordinator of the M.S. in Investigations program, and senior lecturer of forensic science. Boyd is the Stewart Professorship in Criminal Justice and Community Policing.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, coordinator of the M.S. in Investigations program, and senior lecturer of forensic science, discusses the case of Antonio Armstrong, a former NFL player, and his wife, who were both shot dead. The suspect is being tried for the third time in their deaths after two mistrials.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and coordinator for the M.S. in Investigations will discuss her experiences in the field of forensic science on Thursday, December 8, via zoom from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm at the Wethersfield Library.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and coordinator for the M.S. in Investigations, discusses the case of a mother from Georgia who went for a walk and has not been seen since.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and coordinator for the M.S. in Investigations, discusses a few cases of criminals that asked for leniency because they claimed they were too pretty for jail after being convicted.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and coordinator for the M.S. in Investigations, discusses a case of a woman being buried alive in a shallow grave after being beaten and tied by her husband amid a pending divorce settlement.
In the Media
John DeCarlo, professor of criminal justice, and Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and assistant dean of Lee College, analyze why there is a rise in ambush-style attacks on police officers.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and program coordinator for the M.S. Investigations, discusses body cam footage from one of the three Bristol officers who were ambushed last week.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer, assistant dean of the Lee College, program coordinator for the M.S. in criminal investigations, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, discusses the Netflix series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and the fascination of serial killers by the public.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and program coordinator for the M.S. in Investigations, discusses the stabbing of an investigative reporter outside of his home and what may have happened to cause this.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and program coordinator for the M.S. in Investigations, discusses the murder of Eliza Fletcher, while she was on an early morning jog. Her accused killer has also been charged with aggravated rape and kidnapping from a year-old case, but the rape kit was not tested until after the murder of Fletcher.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, associate dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about a suspect going to trial for the disappearance of Kristen Smart, who has been missing since 1996, and her body has never been found.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer, assistant dean of the Lee College, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about a lawyer whose murder conviction was overturned in the shooting death of his wife.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer, assistant dean of the Lee College, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about a case in which a sixteen-year-old autistic girl who is now missing may have been using an app to talk to adult males.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and senior lecturer of forensic science, talks about improper storage of a firearm and, in this case, no evidence the 2 year old’s gunshot wound was self-inflected.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and senior lecturer of forensic science, talks about recent mass shootings and, examines whether changes in gun laws will stop these from occurring.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advance Policing, and senior lecturer of forensic science, says that when multiple agencies come together to respond to an active mass shooting it can be chaotic, as each agency has different ways of training to handle a response.
The Charger Blog
Through its Center for Advanced Policing, the University of New Haven is helping to provide critical de-escalation training for local law enforcement, helping them make a difference in their communities while promoting research and best practices.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer, director of the Advanced Center for Policing, and assistant dean of the Lee College, says the pandemic, people out of work, weakened staffing in the community and in after-school programs have been contributing factors to the rise in murder rates.
The Charger Blog
The University and Notre Dame High School in West Haven recently collaborated to offer a program that let high school students explore careers in criminal justice and forensic science. It enabled several University faculty members with diverse areas of expertise and experience to interact with students.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer of forensic science, director of the Center of Advanced Policing, and assistant dean of the Lee College, says the spike in violent crime that began during the pandemic has continued, even after the lockdown restrictions have been lifted.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about the case of a chef who was shot in the back. Still, the chef’s wife claimed he committed suicide, and she has now been charged with murder.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and associate dean of the Lee College, talks about a case of two men fighting over child custody leading to a shooting that was caught on camera. She discusses whether this is a case of murder or self-defense.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing; and Kenneth Gray, senior lecturer of criminal justice and homeland security, talk about a pilot program in California that uses surveillance cameras to scan license plates of vehicles to prevent crime.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, associate dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, says after reading the Orange County Sheriff's full report that she believes the investigation into the death of Bob Saget was very detailed and that it showed no signs of foul play.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, associate dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, says, based on victimology, it is plausible the homeless men were targeted for their outward appearance.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, associate dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about DNA evidence preserved from a crime scene 30 years ago that led to solving the case.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, associate dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, discusses comedian Bob Saget's autopsy results, which indicated he accidentally hit the back of his head, causing bleeding on the brain.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, says there has been some advances for female officers, but there are still gender disparities.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, says Apple AirTag trackers are part of digital coercion that is difficult for victims to recognize.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, comments on how thieves are stealing checks from post office drop boxes and using chemicals to alter the payee and dollar amount.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, says all of the facts of in a high-profile murder case in Bridgeport have to be considered before concluding the ultimate cause of death.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer and director of the Center of Advancing Policing, believes most people would likely not investigate what was under a blanket in a shopping cart near a train station.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about check-washing as the number of cases is climbing.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, says that cases of inappropriate touching are challenging to investigate and prosecute based on probable cause.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, says one of the positive outcomes of calls for defunding or reallocating funds from police departments is the development of more significant partnerships between community members, the police, and mental health experts and new opportunities to work together.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, associate dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about various cold cases in Connecticut and how the public can help provide information to police.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, associate dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about the types of training officers perform in order to be prepared when encountering a shooter.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center of Advanced Policing, talks about the case of Bianca Rudolph, who was killed by a gunshot to the chest and cremated in Zambia, and how the laws there are very different in investigating the cause of death.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and senior lecturer talks about the case of Harmony Montgomery, a five-year old who disappeared in 2019 and was not reported missing by her parents or her school.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and senior lecturer talks about the felony charges facing a mother for leaving her children home alone for two days and nights.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, associate dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center of Advanced Policing, talks about what to do if you witness a crime in progress.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about the disappearance of a woman in the Wekiwa Springs National Park.
The Charger Blog
Several recent graduates of the University’s graduate program in forensic technology, a first-of-its-kind program, reflect on how their time as Chargers prepared them to excel in their careers.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and senior lecturer of forensic science, comments on some of the reasons for the spike in homicides, including New Haven.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and senior lecturer of forensic science, comments on some of the reasons for the spike in homicides, including New Haven.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and senior lecturer, talks about a video that surfaced of a teacher and a student during a confrontation. She says there should not be a rush to judgment.
In the Media
Brian Marks, a senior lecturer of economics and business analytics, and Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center of Advanced Policing, and senior lecturer, talk about how Black Friday has changed amid the recent increase in smash-and-grab robberies.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and senior lecturer says the thefts happening at high-end stores are organized, and targets are determined in advance.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and senior lecturer, talks about how the advancement of DNA technology helped solve a 35-year-old cold case.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Lee College, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about a recent rash of grocery store thefts in Connecticut and around the nation.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and senior lecturer in forensic science, talks about the shortage of emergency workers and the stress for those working long shifts can lead to mistakes.
University News
Universities.com rated the University of New Haven in its 2021 ranking of the top colleges in the United States to pursue a degree in forensic science, lauding the unique and innovative hands-on learning opportunities and faculty with industry experience who continue to make an important impact in the field.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean, senior lecturer, and director for the Center of Advanced Policing, talks about the case of a mother who disappeared after leaving her son’s football game at halftime.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about the case of three women missing within a month and all found dead by the same man using a dating app to lure his victims.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about the case of three women missing within a month and all found dead by the same man using a dating app to lure his victims.
The Charger Blog
The University of New Haven’s Center for Advanced Policing, led by retired New Haven Police Department lieutenant Lisa Dadio, M.S., M.S.W., is at the forefront of offering programs that bring police officers close together, while building relationships between departments and the communities they serve.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Henry C. Lee College of Forensic Science and Criminal Justice, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about the autopsy result in the Gabby Petito murder case and what is next for the investigation.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean of the Henry C. Lee College of Forensic Science and Criminal Justice, senior lecturer, and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about the autopsy result in the Gabby Petito murder case and what is next for the investigation.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and senior lecturer in forensic science, says the public should not rush to judgment on how law enforcement handles the high profile Gabby Petito case.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, assistant dean, director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and senior lecturer, comments on federal officers now limited in using chokeholds and ‘no-knock’ raids by the DOJ.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about the disappearance of Pennsylvania D.A. Ray Gricar and the possible connection to Jerry Sandusky.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about the disappearance of Pennsylvania D.A. Ray Gricar and the possible connection to Jerry Sandusky.
The Charger Blog
Meet Lisa Dadio ’87, ’88, ’92 M.S., director of the University of New Haven’s Center for Advanced Policing, a senior lecturer, and a former New Haven Police Department lieutenant, who is now helping to train the next generation of law enforcement professionals.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, discusses two criminal attacks and how police handled the situation.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, discusses two criminal attacks and how police handled the situation.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about the trauma being relived in the community after the recent mass shooting of 8 people at the VTA.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about the rise in violence being linked to summer weather and the rescinded pandemic restrictions.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about a case of how officers handle a domestic call with an armed man and a case of missing children in Michigan.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about a suspect crashing into a police officer’s vehicle, a child locked in deplorable conditions, and a deputy who lifts an SUV off of a pinned mother.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about the protocols and policies that will be reviewed by internal affairs regarding the officers’ actions.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director for the Center of Advanced Policing, talks about the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about how police are trained in making an arrest and why it is important to wait for an investigation.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about how police are trained in making an arrest and why it is important to wait for an investigation.
The Charger Blog
In honor of Women’s History Month, Martina Ibrahim ’21 organized a panel discussion to bring together prominent women in the local law enforcement community and her fellow Chargers for a virtual discussion about women’s roles and their experiences in policing.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, comments that most people committing crimes with guns obtain them illegally.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, comments that most people committing crimes with guns obtain them illegally.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about how the Annie Le case started as a missing person report after a fire alarm went off in her office building.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about the angles and leads the police had in the beginning of the Annie Le case.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about how teams of investigators worked together and how they found the body of Annie Le.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, and Kenneth Gray, lecturer for criminal justice, comment on why murder rates increased in 2020.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about the Annie Le murder case.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks to Nancy Grace about the Annie Le murder case.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, talks about the cold case for Bee Love Slater and answers viewers questions about why the case remains unsolved.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing, comments that all of the evidence in any murder needs to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, even in cold cases.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, lecturer and coordinator of M.S. Forensic Technology, talks about her distinguished career as a former lieutenant for the New Haven Police Department and her work at the University.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, lecturer and coordinator of M.S. Forensic Technology, comments on the use of body cameras for police and their effectiveness as a training tool.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, lecturer and coordinator of M.S. Forensic Technology, talks about the Annie Le case and how it was solved as a former member of the New Haven Police.
In the Media
Ken Gray, lecturer of criminal justice, and Lisa Dadio, lecturer and coordinator of M.S. Forensic Technology, comment on the anniversary of the missing little girl.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, M.S., M.S.W., a lecturer in the University of New Haven’s Forensic Science Department, will be featured in an episode of Forensic Files II. Professor Dadio, who was a lieutenant with the New Haven Police Department at the time, helped investigate the murder of Annie Le, a graduate student at Yale University.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, lecturer and coordinator of the M.S. in Forensic Technology program, comments on new research that finds the process of decomposition could cause a corpse to experience body movements as the body mummifies.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, lecturer and coordinator of M.S Forensic Technology, discusses how sexual harassment can easily bridge over to sexual assault.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, lecturer and coordinator of M.S. Forensic Technology, talks about her work on the Annie Le case as a detective for the city of New Haven.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, lecturer and coordinator of M.S Forensic Technology, discusses aspects of the murder investigation of Annie Le on the second episode of Snapchat's ‘True Crime/ Uncovered’ series.
In the Media
Lisa Dadio, lecturer and coordinator of M.S Forensic Technology, oversaw the investigation of the murder of Annie Le as head of the investigative services unit. She was portrayed by Shirley Adams in Oxygen’s "A Wedding and a Murder".
In the Media
Lisa Dadio was featured in the show Killer Instincts with Chris Hansen on Investigation Discovery. The show covers one of New Haven's most infamous cases - the murder of Yale student, Annie Le in 2009.