Lisa Dadio, M.S., MSW

Lisa Dadio Headshot
Senior Lecturer
Assistant Dean
Director of the Center for Advanced Policing
Program Coordinator for the M.S. Investigations - Criminal Investigations

Division of Government and Public Safety
Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences
Education

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

About Lisa

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.

Since 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.

Courses Taught
  • FORS4415 Crime Scene Investigation
  • FORS6612 Principles of Forensic Science
  • FORS6619 Advanced Crime Scene Investigation
  • FORS6628 Advanced Death Investigations
  • FORS6663 Forensic Field Technology
  • INVS6614 Survey of Forensic Science
  • INVS6623 Investigative Intricacies into the Investigation of Death
  • INVS6628 Cold Case Investigations

In the Media, News, and Features

In the Media

Surviving the Survivor: Solving the Murder at Yale with Lt. Lisa Dadio

Lisa Dadio, director of the University's Center for Advanced Policing and the M.S. in Investigations program coordinator, discusses the 2009 case of Annie Le, who was reported as a missing person just days before her wedding. Le was murdered and buried in a wall of the building where she worked and studied at Yale University. Dadio was a detective with the New Haven Police Department at the time who investigated the case.

In the Media

Fox News Radio: Murder In The Ivy League: The Death Of Annie Le

Lisa Dadio, director of the University’s Center for Advanced Policing and the M.S. in Investigations program coordinator, recounts the 2009 case of Annie Le, who was reported as a missing person just days before her wedding. She was found murdered and buried in a wall of the building where she worked and studied at Yale University. Dadio was a detective with the New Haven Police Department at the time who investigated the case.

In the Media

WICC 600AM Melissa in the Morning: Criminal Justice in CT

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

NBC Connecticut: The University of New Haven to Offer De-Escalation Training for Police Officers

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

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace: Too Pretty for Jail?

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

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace: Young Mom BURIED ALIVE

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

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace: Brutal Murder of Memphis Mom Eliza Could Have Been Stopped? Explosive Claim

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

WICC 600 Melissa in the Morning: Cold Case

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

Inside Edition: They Did It Again!

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.

University News

University Ranked Best in the Country to Study Forensic Science

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.

The Charger Blog

Retired Detective Brings 20 Years of Experience to the Classroom

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

Court TV: Crime Time

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

Court TV: Crime Time

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

Court TV: Crime Time with Vinnie Politan

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.

The Charger Blog

Senior Leads University Community in Celebrating Women in Policing

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.