APARTMENT GUIDE 3 9 APARTMENT HUNTING IS A PAIN. WE CAN MAKE IT PAINLESS. THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2011 With its $18.4 million in research funding, the School of Pharmacy ranks fourth in the nation. Pharmacy school awarded millions BY SHAUNA BLACKMON sblackmon@kansan.com "Our faculty is on the cutting edge of research technology," Ken Audus, dean of the School of Pharmacy said. "The creativity of our faculty helps us retain some of the best scientists in the world." For the 10th year in a row, the School of Pharmacy ranks among the top five schools to receive funding from the National Institute of Health with more than $18.4 million. Money granted by the NIH goes to professors to further cancer and Alzheimer's research, along with other issues of drug formulation and disease cures and prevention. The amount of grant money a school receives is generally an indication of the school's national reputation. This year Kansas ranks fourth in research funding and is the only Edited by Erin Wilbert "This money is driving the training of graduate students," Audus said. "We are generating the next generation of new drugs." school in the Big 12 to make the top 10 list. The School of Pharmacy also ranks in the top 10 percent of faculty members who receive NIH grant funding. Of the University's 40 pharmacy professors, 18 of them each received $489,000 for research in his or her field. All of the research money the school uses comes from various grants, none of which are associated with the University. Other contributors include the Department of Defense and the state government. However, most of the money comes from the NIH. But running a hot dog stand isn't quite as simple as one would think. Mandel and Sharkan, both juniors from Chicago, had to develop a business plan, present their plan to the Lawrence business community and wait from approval by local officials. Initially there was some opposition to the idea of a hot dog stand downtown — there was the worry that foot traffic would lead Travis Young/KANSAN "It's been incredibly lucrative, but it's been worth our time," he said. "We've got it down to a science," Mandel said. "We've learned to work well together when it gets crazy. Somehow, it works." Mandel said that while the two were developing a business plan, some forecasting was done to analyze the financial aspects of starting the stand. While the initial start-up costs of the stand have not yet been met, Mandel said the monetary benefits are similar to what they predicted. "It's been interesting learning how to run a business from the ground up," Sharkan said. "I think I'll be able to apply it in the future." es, especially in light of weather changes and winter break. The stand closed down before finals during the winter semester, and was re-opened about a month ago. The two spend every weekend at the stand, and have seen an effect on their social lives. Justin Sharkan and Jason Mandel officially started The Last Stop Snack Shop in September. Now, six months later, Sharkan and Mandel's business is beginning to thrive — and the stand is becoming a staple in downtown Lawrence nightlife. The stand is located on the corner of 10th and Massachusetts Streets, in front of the Masonic Temple. There, Mandel and Sharkan sell everything from hot dogs to walking tacos, feeding late-night bar-goers and Massachusetts Street regulars. But now, with warmer weather on the way, the two hope the business will continue to grow and be successful. They hope to hire employees in the future, in the hopes that they'll be able to free up more personal time for themselves. The two have faced challeng- they had no idea how to even develop a business plan. But now, two University students are entrepreneur making a name for themselves in the local business world, in the form of a hot dog stand. Justin Sharkan and Jason Mandel opened the Last Stop Snack Shop downtown last September. The stand sells items such as hot dogs and walking tacos to late-night customers. After they graduate from the University, the two hope to Classifieds . . . 9A Crossword . . . 4A Cryptquips . . . 4A INDEX Opinion... 5A Sports... 10A pass the business on to Mandel's younger brother, or sell the business to another entrepreneur. The two said they can see this project as a learning process, and would be interested in starting other businesses in the future. Katz said the two were relentless — they worked hard, showed a lot of business savvy and set strong goals for themselves. Edited by Danielle Packer THE LAST STOP SNACK SHOP WEATHER TODAY 64 43 Clear skies/Windy Open from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. "People don't understand that this is a challenging business to set up in this particular way," Katz said. "It's not just setting up a lemonade stand in your dad's front yard." 78 47 Clear skies/Windy WEDNESDAY Mostly Sunny Forecasts by University students. For a complete detailed forecast for the week, see page 2A Will Katz, director of the Small Business Development Center, worked with Mandel and Sharkan, assisting them in creating a business plan. Katz said that he thinks the two have done an incredible job in running and maintaining a business, especially with minimal prior knowledge. THURSDAY 73 55 Chance of rain All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansan Suspicious chemical found on campus CAMPUS | 3A A half-full container labeled as containing biodiesel and heptane was found in the Allen Fieldhouse parking garage on Monday morning. 水