Cassie Ordonio
Culture & Arts ReporterCassie Ordonio is the culture and arts reporter for Hawaiʻi Public Radio. She previously worked for Honolulu Civil Beat, covering local government, education, homelessness and affordable housing.
She also reported for San Francisco-based newspapers El Tecolote, 48 Hills, Ingleside Light and Castro Courier.
Cassie, of Filipino and Chamorro descent, was born and raised in California. She graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2021 with bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Pacific Islands studies.
She was one of 22 fellows for AAJA Voices, a mentorship program that aims to increase diversity in journalism while providing mentors from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN to train them.
When she’s not working, she’s on a desperate search for some good horchata or simply trying to keep her house plants alive.
Contact Cassie at cordonio@hawaiipublicradio.org.
-
The makers of SPAM have partnered with local artist Kamea Hadar for a limited-edition can that pays homage to Maui residents impacted by the wildfires. It features the yellow hibiscus, Hawaiʻi's state flower, and the lokelani rose, Maui's flower. About 30,000 cases of the special cans will be available only in Hawai‘i. HPR's Cassie Ordonio has more.
-
A Hawaiʻi Island teacher has created an AI tool that allows teachers to quickly give feedback to their students via a Google Docs add-on. He said tasks that would have taken up to 10 hours now take less than one. Other schools are adopting practices for using AI as a teaching tool. HPR's Cassie Ordonio reports on the status of technology in the classroom.
-
Researchers in Waimānalo are testing fertilizers made of wildfire-prone invasive plant biomass to see if they can grow food just as well as contemporary products, typically made from fossil fuels. The project could lead to cheaper alternatives for local farmers. HPR's Cassie Ordonio takes a closer look.
-
The installed artwork is part of a State Foundation on Culture and the Arts program that places art in public places statewide, including schools, hospitals, airports and state office buildings.
-
Zoe Green of Kāneʻohe is one of five finalists competing for the grand prize of $25,000. Voting ends on April 14.
-
It's been over seven months since the wildfire ripped through Lahaina, destroying or damaging more than 2,000 structures, including centuries-old historic buildings. University of Hawaiʻi students are incorporating artificial intelligence and digital modeling to preserve the town's historic architecture. HPR's Cassie Ordonio has more.
-
Dr. Song Yi Park will conduct the study. Park is a professor and co-investigator of the Multiethnic Cohort Study, the largest study of more than 215,000 residents in Hawaiʻi and Los Angeles.
-
Citizens from the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau are now eligible for federal benefits. But when they can access them remains unclear. HPR's Cassie Ordonio has more.
-
Solomon Enos has been chosen to design the state Capitol's reflecting pools with a waterless display — an alternative to the original design that caused water to leak into the building's offices for several years. His plan will feature a walkable mosaic floor mural using up to 6,000 glass panels. HPR's Cassie Ordonio reports.
-
Artists came out in full force to oppose the measure, which they said would slash arts programs that support artists across the state. HPR's Cassie Ordonio was there for the hearing to bring you the details.