Noella Marcellino facts for kids

Mother Noella Marcellino, O.S.B., born Martha A. Marcellino on June 30, 1951, is an American Benedictine nun. She earned a special degree called a doctorate in microbiology from the University of Connecticut. Microbiology is the study of very tiny living things.

She studied tiny living things called fungi in France. She did this with help from a Fulbright Scholarship. Her studies focused on how natural processes like decay help make the smells and flavors of cheese.

Biography

Marcellino left Sarah Lawrence College. Later, the Archbishop of Hartford gave permission. This allowed nuns from the Abbey of Regina Laudis to go to college. In December 1986, Mother Noella and three other nuns applied. They were accepted into courses at the University of Connecticut.

In 1987, the group started a special program. This program helped all of them earn doctoral degrees. Mother Noella's degree was in molecular and cell biology/microbiology. She began with basic science classes. These were at the University of Connecticut's campus in Waterbury.

During a visit to the abbey's cheese cellar, a professor had an idea. Nina Stein, a chemistry professor, suggested Mother Noella study cheese. She thought Mother Noella should focus on the tiny living things that help cheese ripen.

Mother Noella won a Fulbright scholarship to France. She went there to find and study different types of fungi. She was especially interested in Geotrichum candidum. She found these fungi in old, traditional cheese caves. She stayed three more years, studying her samples. This extra time was supported by a grant from the French government.

Mother Noella used to not eat much cheese. She only had a little smoked cheddar sometimes. She has been making cheese since 1977. She made it in a wooden whiskey barrel.

She is a member of the Abbey of Regina Laudis. Today, she often gives advice to the cheese industry in the United States. She also speaks at events and judges cheese competitions.

Her brother is John "Jocko" Marcellino. He is a founding member and drummer for the band Sha Na Na.

Praise for Her Work

Rémy Grappin, a director from France, praised Mother Noella. He said she studied the many different types of fungi in raw-milk cheese. He also said she worked hard to keep these natural fungi safe. This was important in a world where cheese making was becoming very standard.

Mother Noella was named the official cheese maker of Abbey of Regina Laudis. She is part of an old tradition of cheese makers. She won a French Food Spirit Award. The people who gave her the award called her an international expert in cheese.

Documentary Films

Mother Noella was featured in a PBS documentary. It was called The Cheese Nun. However, she has said she does not like being called a "cheese nun." She was filmed traveling through the French countryside. She gathered information from many cheese-making experts.

Another nun, Mother Dolores Hart, told her to go with the name "The Cheese Nun." Mother Dolores thought cheese sounded more interesting than fungi. Mother Noella was also in a Netflix series called "Cooked." She appeared in the episode titled "Earth."

See also

• List of cheesemakers