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Alumnus fuels scholarships for next generation of engineers

One July evening in 1969, 600 million people around the world watched in awe as the United States made history with the Apollo 11 moon landing.

While most eyes were transfixed on the grainy black and white footage of Neil Armstrong stepping off the Lunar Module Eagle, 12-year-
old Ray Billig noticed a credit at the bottom of his TV screen. “Video courtesy of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory,” he read to himself, and then thought: “I wonder if I could work for those guys.”

More than 40 years later, Billig, a native of Wickliffe, Ohio, did go to work for NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory—and it was his education at �Ӱ���Ƶ that helped chart the course for his dream career. Now, he wants to provide a similar launchpad
for future generations of engineers.

Billig (CIT ’79) bequeathed half of his 401(k) to CWRU to endow a scholarship fund, estimated to be worth more than $1 million upon his
passing. Wanting to see the impact during his lifetime, however, the alumnus gave $30,000 upfront to kickstart the fund.

“I’ve accomplished all the goals I set for myself as a kid,” Billig said. “I got an education, became an engineer, got hired by NASA, and I live by the beach. Starting the scholarship just seemed like the right thing to do.”

Billig was the first in his family to attend college. His father had medical issues that eventually left his mother to be the sole breadwinner. That meant money was tight, but it also allowed Billig to qualify for special grants, scholarships and financial aid from CWRU. More importantly, he was eligible for work study, which would later prove to be instrumental in his career.

An electrical engineering and applied physics major, Billig’s work study assignment was to serve as a technician for the chemical engineering laser lab. The word “laser” stood out on his resumé and helped him land his first job out of school at the Hughes Aircraft Co. in Los Angeles. He worked on the military laser production line, solving problems in manufacturing that weren’t resolved during development.

Billig’s willingness to learn—and to take on work others didn’t want to do—allowed him to find his niche as a connector engineer, specializing in the design, development and testing of connective devices. This specialty eventually landed him a job at NASA, where Billig continues to work today as a connector and cabling subject matter expert.

The alumnus hopes his scholarship will help propel the next generation forward as CWRU once did for him.

“I appreciate all of the aid I received at �Ӱ���Ƶ,” he said. “Because of that, I’ve been successful enough to be in a position to give back through this scholarship. That will be my legacy.”