Joy JuedesChapman University students learn invaluable skills and how to use innovative technology through Argyros College of Business and Economics’ partnership with Irvine-based digital advertising company Viant Technology.
Nikki Kalhori ’23 (MLD ’24) enrolled in the graduate course “Economics of the Internet and AI” class in spring — the second class Viant has participated in through its partnership with the university. Viant enables marketers and agencies to buy ads across the open Internet on devices such as mobile phones, computers, connected televisions, streaming audio and digital out-of-home billboards.
“I thought this would be an interesting thing to be able to discuss in job interviews and demonstrate that I have a widespread knowledge of things impacting our society,” said Kalhori, who wants to work in human resources.
In the “Economics of the Internet and AI” class, taught by Assistant Professor Marshall Toplansky and Presidential Fellow Joel Kotkin, students debated related topics each week. One week, Steven Ohrnstein, Viant’s senior vice president of platform automation and analytics, addressed the importance of privacy within online advertising.
“The debate centered around whether a consumer should be compensated while surfing the internet, from which we went through the pros and cons,” Ohrnstein said.
He liked the back-and-forth debate format and was interested to see if students’ opinions changed by the end of class. He also gave an overview of how Viant uses technology — including AI in its data platform — to help marketers.
“I want them to remember it’s more than knowing your business, it’s equally important to understand the underlying data powering it,” he said. “That’s the key to our future and it makes for a good career.”
That career-mindedness was also present in Ohrnstein’s seven weeks of work with undergraduate marketing analytics students in spring 2023. Students learned about Viant’s online advertising planning software and how its data could be used to draw more applicants to Chapman.
In her class, Kalhori enjoyed Ohrnstein’s discussion about how a person’s information is collected when they’re online. She had been mindful of her Internet safety since taking a class on the subject in middle school, and she was reassured by Ohrnstein’s advice in the class detailing how individuals can protect their data.
She appreciated gaining new insights into important topics from an expert in the industry.
“He was very open about what he’s doing and what his company is doing, and it provides a new level of engagement for the class and learning,” she said. “Any question we asked him, he was able to answer for us and give us even more detail.”
Ohrnstein’s interactions with students showed “the type of person that he is and the type of culture their company has, that they prioritize teaching and helping the next generation of people entering the workforce and the next generation of learners,” Kalhori said.
Ohrnstein said the classes are part of Viant’s initiative to give back to the community — CEO Tim Vanderhook is on Chapman’s Board of Trustees — and provide a gateway to the company for Chapman graduates. Ohrnstein wants students deciding on a career to know how marketing works and regardless of direction they go, to know the importance of data in making decisions.
“I try to demonstrate different aspects of what’s out there,” he said. “Marketing is such a huge part of our world.”
Kalhori hopes Chapman continues to offer classes like the one Ohrnstein spoke at.
“Public speaking, critical thinking, being able to formulate your thoughts and ideas and being able to effectively communicate them is so important, and something that is going to be increasingly important as we lean in more to technology and into AI,” she says.
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