Faculty Profile: Raja Alomari

Dr. Raja Alomari is a familiar name in both academia and industry, bringing cutting-edge research to life through real-world applications. As an Associate Professor in the College of Engineering and the co-founder and CEO of Pextra Inc., he blends technical expertise, entrepreneurial drive, and a deep passion for education, inspiring innovation in both his students and the tech world. 

With a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the State University of New York, Buffalo, Dr. Alomari has built a dynamic career. He has over 20 years of experience in academia, followed by a decade in industry, and has authored more than 30 publications in prestigious journals and conferences. His career path includes serving as a Lead Machine Learning Engineer at two successful startups — Palerra (acquired by Oracle in 2016) and E8 Security (acquired by VMware in 2018). After the latter acquisition, he spent six years at VMware before co-founding Pextra in early 2024, a company focused on developing an advanced AI-powered private cloud and virtualization management platform. 

“Teaching remains one of the most exciting and fulfilling aspects of my career,” Dr. Alomari shares. His teaching experience started at the University of Jordan. Even during his years in industry, he maintained connections to academia as an adjunct lecturer. “I particularly enjoy designing courses that align with industry trends and incorporate hands-on skills,” he notes, emphasizing the satisfaction he finds in seeing students’ progress, graduate with strong foundations, and gain practical experience. 

Dr. Alomari was drawn to Northeastern University for its global reputation and diverse student body. He expresses enthusiasm for the Multidisciplinary Graduate Engineering program, where he has designed courses for master’s students at both the Oakland and San Jose campuses. “My goal is to design high-quality courses that provide students with a competitive edge in both academia and industry,” he explains. 

His industry experience has been centered on machine learning architecture and the building of production-level machine learning pipelines, particularly by leveraging cloud computing, including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and serverless computing. He has extensively used AWS services for over a decade and continues to integrate this expertise into his teaching. Since joining Northeastern, he has become an official member of the AWS Academy, providing students with resources for hands-on experience in cloud computing, architectural design, systems, data engineering solutions, and machine learning pipelines. 

His most exciting recent endeavor is Pextra CloudEnvironment®, developed at Pextra Inc. He and his team built this product from the ground up in response to a clear market demand following Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware in 2023. This acquisition created a significant opportunity for Pextra to develop a much-needed virtualization and private cloud management platform. 

Beyond his professional career, Dr. Alomari values time with his family and enjoys outdoor activities. His commitment to mentorship extends beyond the classroom—he has been actively volunteering for Scouting America for over eight years, guiding young minds toward leadership and achievement. Two of his children have even attained the prestigious Eagle Scout rank, a testament to his dedication to fostering growth both personally and professionally. 

Dr. Alomari’s career advice is as practical as it is inspiring: “Be flexible in your career choices, continuously learn, and adapt to market changes and trends. This approach will help you stay competitive and open to new opportunities.” 

In a world where technology and education are constantly evolving, Dr. Alomari stands out as a visionary who not only keeps pace with change but drives it. Whether in the classroom at Northeastern or the boardroom, his passion for innovation, teaching, and community service continues to inspire those around him.