Noella Marcellino

Sister Noella Marcellino, BA, MA, PhD
Born	1952
Residence	Bethlehem, Connecticut
Citizenship	American
Nationality	American
Fields	Microbiology Molecular biology Cellular biology
Institutions	Abbey of Regina Laudis
Alma mater	University of Connecticut
Doctoral advisor	David Benson
Other academic advisors	Nina Stein
Known for	Scientific investigation into the flavors of cheese
Notable awards	Fulbright Scholarship French Fellowship French Food Spirit Award

Mother Noella Marcellino, O.S.B., (born 1952) is a Benedictine nun who has earned a doctorate in microbiology from the University of Connecticut. Studying fungi in France on a Fulbright Scholarship,^[1] she concentrates on the positive effects of decay and putrefaction as well as the odors and flavors of cheese.^[2]

Biography

Before she came to the Abbey of Regina Laudis, Sister Noella had worked for 28 years at an agency for musicians^[3] She supervised the distribution of the abbey's two Gregorian chant CDs, one of which was a hit on a Billboard chart.^[3][4] The Archbishop of Hartford, John Whealon, gave permission for members of the cloistered community of Benedictine nuns of Abbey of Regina Laudis to embark on an pilgrimage for higher education.^[5] In December 1986, Mother Noella and three other nuns applied and were accepted into courses for Agricultural Science at the University of Connecticut.^[5] In 1987 the group began a program in scholarship that resulted in all receiving doctoral degrees, with Noella's being in molecular and cell biology/microbiology.^[5] She had begun with introductory sciences courses at UConn’s campus in Waterbury, but it was during a visit by UCONN organic chemistry professor Nina Stein to the abbey’s cheese cellar, that the professor suggested that she focus her research on the microbiology of cheese ripening.^[5] Noel won a Fulbright scholarship^[6] to France to collect and exaimine native strains of fungi from traditional cheese caves and stayed an additional three years, analyzing the samples on a grant from the French government.^[5]

Mother Noella used to not be able to eat cheese, except for the occasional chunk of smoked cheddar^[7] and had been making cheese in a wooden whisky barrel since 1977.^[8] She has been a member of the Abbey of Regina Laudis for twenty-nine years.^[9] She now frequently advises the United States cheese industry and she is a speaker and judge at competitions.^[10]

Praise

She was praised by Rémy Grappin, the late Director of Research at France's National Institute of Agricultural Research, who said that she had studied the biodiversity of raw-milk cheese fungi and no one else was fighting harder to preserve it in a world of standardization and pasteurization.^[3] She was named the official cheese maker of Abbey of Regina Laudis and she is part of an ancient order of cheese makers.^[11] She won a French Food Spirit Award and the organizers for the award said that she was an international expert of cheese.^[8]

Documentary

Mother Noella Marcellino was the subject of a PBS documentary called The Cheese Nun,^[12] but she said that she does not like being called a cheese nun.^[11] She was filmed while she traveled though the French countryside collecting information from cheese making experts.^[11] Mother Dolores Hart, was the one who told her to go with The Cheese Nun because cheese is more appealing than fungi.^[10]

Additional sources

• Microbe Magazine, "Microbiological Research Adds a Scientific Element to Cheesemaking"^[13]
• SeattlePi, "Cheese fest is habit-forming"^[14]
• Holy Trinity Apostolate, "Lenten Symposium 2009"^[15]

References

1. ^ Karen Gaudette (May 16, 2007). "The mother of cheesemaking has art down to a science". The Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/foodwine/2003708130_cheesenun16.html. Retrieved 2009-01-18. 
2. ^ Weil, Andrew (2005). Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Physical and Spiritual Well-being. Fitness In No Time. p. 108. ISBN 0375407553, 9780375407550. http://books.google.com/books?id=DF9jM1gt2bQC&dq=Noella+Marcellino&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} Mary Blume (January 23, 2004). "A master pursues the secrets of cheese". New York Times. International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/01/23/blume_ed3__0.php. Retrieved 2009-01-18. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ Our Greatest Hour" RADIO Show (December 20, 2007), ""The Announcement of Christmas" with Mother Noella Marcellino", accessed 01-18-2007
5. ^ ^{a b c d e} [1] University of Connecticut Alumni Magazine, Volume 6, Number 2 - Summer 2005, by Karen A. Singer, "Pursuing a Higher Education", accessed 01018-2009
6. ^ fulbrightonline.com, SISTER NOELLA MARCELLINO - Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow 1994-1995, accessed 01-18-2009
7. ^ Mary Blume (January 23, 2004). "A master pursues the secrets of cheese". New York Times. International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/01/23/blume_ed3__0.php. Retrieved 2009-01-18. ^{[dead link]}
8. ^ ^{a b} Angela Doland (December 16, 2003). "Nun Serves As France's Cheese Ambassador in U.S.". Associated Press. Red Orbit website. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/33736/nun_serves_as_frances_cheese_ambassador_in_us/index.html. Retrieved 2009-01-18. 
9. ^ Burkhard Bilger (August 19, 2002). "RAW FAITH.(cheese-making nun Mother Noella Marcellino)(Brief Article)". The New Yorker. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-25840847_ITM. Retrieved 2009-01-18. 
10. ^ ^{a b} "A master pursues the secrets of cheese". International Herald Tribune. January 23, 2004. http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/01/23/blume_ed3__0.php?page=2. Retrieved 2009-01-18. ^{[dead link]}
11. ^ ^{a b c} "The Cheese Nun: Sister Noella's Voyage of Discovery". film overview. The New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/289928/The-Cheese-Nun-Sister-Noella-s-Voyage-of-Discovery/overview. Retrieved 2009-01-18. 
12. ^ "Sister Noella Marcellino 'Takes Five'". JS Online website. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. March 7, 2006. http://www2.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=406568. Retrieved 2009-01-18. 
13. ^ asm.org Microbe Magazine, March 2004, "In the world of fine cheesemaking, Mother Noella stands alone. ", accessed 01-18-2009
14. ^ seattlepi.nwsource.com, By HSIAO-CHING CHOU (May 15, 2007), "Cheese fest is habit-forming", accessed 01-18-2009
15. ^ holytrinityapostolate.com, 2009 events, accessed 01-18-2009

Persondata
Name	Marcellino, Noella
Alternative names
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Date of birth	1952
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death