Prior to retirement he was the Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University.
[2][3][4] A notable contribution is from his work on surface processing by the human visual system.
[5][6] Nakayama received his BA from Haverford College and PhD from UCLA.
[7] Nakayama helped in the formation and founding of the Vision Sciences Society and served as its first president.
In 2016, the Society established the Ken Nakayama Medal for Excellence in Vision Science in honor of his numerous significant contributions.