is a former adjunct professor of communication at Pepperdine University's Seaver College. In 2011 he was a participant in the Conference on World Affairs. In 2015, Shadyac began teaching film at the University of Colorado Boulder, beginning with that year's Spring semester, Shadyac now teaches film at the University of Memphis. Charity On March 22, 2018, Shadyac opened the doors to his newest project: Memphis Rox climbing gym. Located in South Memphis, it is a non-profit, pay-what-you-can climbing gym and community center. Memphis Rox also features weight lifting, climbing specific training, treadmills & other cardio, and classes in Yoga, Meditation, Tai Chi, and Senior Fitness. It is across the street from the Stax Museum of American soul music. Personal life Shadyac was married to Jennifer Barker in 1997. They eventually divorced. In 2007, Shadyac suffered post-concussion syndrome after a bicycle accident in Virginia, and experienced a prolonged period of acute headaches and hyper-sensitivity to light and noise. The injury followed the cumulative effects of previous mild head injuries Shadyac had suffered from surfing, mountain biking, and playing basketball. Shadyac was forced to sleep in a darkened closet in his house due to a constant ringing in his ears that lasted beyond a six-month period, and his treating doctors were unable to determine if and when the ringing would cease. Shadyac later explained: "I felt suicidal at points. It was a disaster." Following his eventual recovery from the 2007 accident, Shadyac sold the bulk of his possessions, donated significant amounts of money, opened a homeless shelter in Charlottesville, Virginia, and made a key donation to an initiative in Telluride, Colorado to set aside a natural area at the town's entrance. He sold his Los Angeles mansion and moved into the exclusive Paradise Cove trailer park in Malibu, California. Shadyac sought to reorient and simplify his life; he removed himself from the film industry and wrote about his experience in Life's Operating Manual. When he was later asked if his change of direction would have occurred if he had not experienced the concussion, Shadyac replied: I was already reevaluating the dissonance between making all this money and being on the set with people, the crew, many of whom couldn't afford the basic needs of their families. It didn't seem fair to me. So I don't think the concussion did it although it was definitely a crisis and crisis will often trigger things