Dr. Neftalie Williams

Director

Dr. Neftalie Williams is a sociologist and Assistant Professor of Sociology at San Diego State University, where he directs the Center for Skateboarding, Action Sports, and Social Change. He investigates global issues of race, diversity, identity, and youth empowerment using the lens of action sports culture.

He is the author of The Skateboard Life (Hachette, 2025), with Color in the Lines: The Politics and Possibilities of U.S. Skateboarding Culture forthcoming from the University of California Press. His 'Beyond the Board' study, conducted with The Skatepark Project while at the University of Southern California, was featured in the New York Times and was the first national effort to study the impact skateboarding has on young people and their educational and career trajectories.

As the first 'Ambassador of Skateboarding' and envoy for the US Department of State, he introduced the concept of skateboarding as a tool for cultural diplomacy in both theory and practice.

He co-founded the College Skateboarding Educational Foundation (CSEF), a non-profit dedicated to creating scholarships for young skateboarders to pursue higher education, serves on the Boards for The Skatepark Project (formerly Tony Hawk Foundation) and Skateistan, and chairs the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for USA Skateboarding.