REX W. SITTI
Assistant Professor of Economics β Old Dominion University
5115 Hampton Boulevard, Constant Hall 2033, Norfolk, VA 23529
π§ rsitti@odu.edu | π Google Sites Website | π 850-405-2116
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Economics | The University of New Mexico | 2024
Dissertation: Essays on the Societal Impacts of Housing and Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs
M.A., Economics | The University of New Mexico | 2019
M.B.A., International Business | The University of Memphis | 2015
B.Com., Finance and Accounting | Kenyatta University | 2011
Research Focus: Urban Economics β’ Housing β’ Health Economics β’ Substance Use Disorders β’ Program Evaluation β’ Hedonic Analysis β’ Spatial Econometrics β’ Neighborhood Effects
PUBLICATIONS & RESEARCH
Peer-Reviewed Articles
β’ Sitti, R.W., Saavedra, J.L., Crisanti, A.S., & Horn, B.P. (forthcoming) "The Economic Costs of a Peer Support-Driven Intervention for Substance Use Disorders." American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse SJR: 0.886 (Q2)
β’ Dole, J.L., Crisanti, A.S., Page-Reeves, J., Horn, B.P., Sitti, R.W., Schwartz, M.R., Lucero, A., & Perez, M. (2025). "A review of the literature on neighborhood impacts of permanent supportive housing (PSH) and emergency shelters for people experiencing homelessness." Housing, Care and Support, 28(2), 43β55. https://doi.org/10.1108/HCS-02-2024-0003 SJR: 0.258 (Q2)
β’ Sitti, R.W. & Berrens, R.P. (2022). "Valuing fishing access on Lake Victoria's Winam Gulf: A hedonic pricing model." International Journal of Ecological Economics & Statistics, 43(2). http://www.ceser.in/ceserp/index.php/ijees/article/view/6867
Research Submitted for Peer Review
β’ Sitti, R.W., "The Impact of State Earned Income Tax Credits on Household Spending: Evidence from Low-Income Families." Submitted to Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, SJR: 1.395 (Q1); ABDC: A
β’ Sitti, R.W., Horn, B., & Berrens, R.P. "The Effect of Homeless Shelters on Property Values: Evidence from Seattle, WA." Submitted to the Journal of Urban Economics SJR: 3.854 (Q1); ABDC: A*
Working Papers
β’ Sitti, R.W., Horn, B.P., Bonham, C., Kincaid, T., & Xiaoya, W. "The Effect of Peer and Community Support Services on Medicaid Billing Charges." In preparation for submission to Health Services Research SJR: 1.796 (Q1); ABDC: A
β’ Wai Yan, S. & Sitti, R.W. "Coastal Flooding and Housing Market Liquidity: Policy Implications for Eastern U.S. Communities" In preparation for submission to Real Estate Economics SJR: 1.116 (Q1); ABDC: A
β’ Sitti, R.W., Horn, B.P., & Li, X. "The Impact of Housing Support Services on Crime: Evidence from the Built-For-Zero Program." In preparation for submission to Regional Science and Urban Economics SJR: 1.917 (Q1); ABDC: A
β’ Joshi, A. & Sitti, R.W., "The Effect of Homeless Shelters on Localized Crime: Evidence from Seattle, WA." In preparation for submission to Journal of Urban Economics SJR: 3.854 (Q1); ABDC: A*
Other Research Activity
Research Assistant | Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico | 2020 β 2024
β’ Contributed to the SAMHSA-funded research, "Economic Evaluations of Contingency Management and Peer Support Services for Substance Use Disorders."
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENT
Assistant Professor | Department of Economics, Old Dominion University | 2024 β Present
Research Fellow | Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy | 2024 - Present
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Old Dominion University
β’ Economics for Managers (ECON 510) | Fall 2025
β’ Mathematics for Economists (ECON 635) | Fall 2025
β’ Principles of Macroeconomics (ECON 201S) | Spring 2025
β’ Managerial Economics (ECON 301) | Spring 2025
β’ Urban Economics (ECON 445W/545) | Fall 2024
University of New Mexico
β’ Intermediate Macroeconomics (ECON 303) | Fall 2023
β’ Principles of Microeconomics (ECON 2120) | Spring 2023
β’ Econometrics II (Lab Instructor, ECON 309) | Spring 2019
β’ Graduate Teaching Assistant: Game Theory (Spring 2020), Consumer Economics (Fall 2019), Economics of Race and Gender (Spring 2019), Introductory Microeconomics (Fall 2018)
Other Teaching Experience
β’ Advanced Research Methods (Teaching Fellow, ECOG 315) | Michigan State University | Summer 2020
β’ Financial Management (Graduate TA, FIR 3410) | University of Memphis | 2014-2015
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
β’ Accounts Receivable Specialist | Cummins Mid-South, USA | 2015 β 2016
β’ Customer Service & Finance Lab Graduate Assistant | University of Memphis | 2013 β 2015
CONFERENCES & PRESENTATIONS
β’ St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY - invited talk | October 2025
β’ The E.V. Williams Center for Real Estate Annual Symposium (ODU) | October 2025
β’ Southern Economic Association Conference, Washington, DC | November 2022 - 2025
β’ Midwest Economic Association Annual Conference, Columbus, OH | March 2023
β’ American Society of Health Economists (ASHEcon) Annual Conference | June 2022
β’ NBER Behavioral Public Economics Boot Camp | May 2022
β’ Himalayan Policy Research Conference | July 2021
β’ Annual Department of Psychiatry Research Showcase | November 2020
β’ New Mexico Public Health Association Conference | April 2019
HONORS & AWARDS
β’ E.V. Williams Center for Real Estate Seed Grant Program | $5,000 | 2025
β’ ODU Early Career Research Academy | 2025
β’ Southern Economic Association Travel Award | 2023
β’ Michelle Elizabeth Canaday Memorial Endowed Scholarship | 2023
β’ Doctoral Conference Presentation Award | 2022
β’ Departmental Three Minutes Research Competition Award | 2020
β’ Outstanding Research Award, Michigan State University & AEASP | 2020
β’ J. Raymond Stuart Award in Economics | 2020
SERVICE & AFFILIATIONS
β’ Mentor, MA Graduate Students, Old Dominion University | 2024 β Present
β’ Discussant, The E.V. Williams Center for Real Estate Annual Symposium (ODU) | 2025
β’ Mentor, Project for New Mexico Graduates of Color (PNMGC), UNM | 2019 β 2023
β’ Treasurer, Economics Graduate Students Organization (EGSO), UNM | 2020 β 2021
β’ Reviewer, Undergraduate Research Opportunity Conference, UNM | 2019
β’ Professional Memberships: American Economic Association, American Society of Health Economists, Western Economic Association International, Midwest Economic Association
TECHNICAL SKILLS
β’ Statistical Software: R (Expert), STATA (Proficient), SAS (Intermediate), SPSS (Proficient)
β’ Data Visualization: Tableau (Proficient), GIS (Proficient)
β’ Programming: Python (Basic)
REFERENCES
Available upon request