▁College , ▁where ▁he ▁major ed ▁in ▁English , ▁gradu ating ▁sum ma ▁cum ▁la ude ▁and ▁Ph i ▁B eta ▁K appa . ▁He ▁did ▁gradu ate ▁study ▁in ▁English ▁and ▁compar ative ▁literature ▁at ▁The ▁University ▁of ▁North ▁Carolina ▁at ▁Chap el ▁Hill . ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁writing ▁books , ▁Jefferson ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁staff ▁science ▁writer ▁at ▁Oak ▁R idge ▁National ▁Labor atory ; ▁as ▁an ▁educ ator ▁and ▁administrator ▁at ▁Pl anned ▁Parent hood ▁of ▁East ▁Tennessee ; ▁as ▁a ▁fre el ance ▁magazine ▁and ▁newspaper ▁journalist ; ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁television ▁document ary ▁writer / produ cer . ▁His ▁writ ings ▁have ▁been ▁published ▁in ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁News week , ▁USA ▁Today ▁and ▁Popular ▁Science , ▁and ▁have ▁been ▁broadcast ▁on ▁N PR . ▁His ▁document aries ▁include ▁programs ▁for ▁the ▁A & E ▁Network , ▁The ▁History ▁Channel , ▁and ▁the ▁O xygen ▁Network . ▁He ▁also ▁wrote ▁and ▁directed ▁for ▁the ▁National ▁Geographic ▁Channel ▁a ▁two - part ▁document ary ▁— ▁Biography ▁of ▁a ▁Cor pse ▁and ▁An atom y ▁of ▁a ▁Cor pse — ▁about ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Tennessee ▁Anth rop ological ▁Research ▁Fac ility , ▁which ▁is ▁also ▁widely ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Body ▁Farm . ▁During ▁film ing , ▁Jefferson ▁met ▁the ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁Body ▁Farm , ▁Bill ▁Bass , ▁who ▁asked ▁for ▁Jefferson ' s ▁assistance ▁to ▁write ▁his ▁mem oir , ▁which ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁under ▁the ▁title ▁Death ’ s ▁A cre