Dr. Harlan is trained as both an architect and an architectural historian, with a professional degree in architecture awarded from the University of Arizona and a master's degree and doctorate in architectural history from the University of Virginia. Her research interests are, broadly speaking, in the architectural history of the late 19th and 20th century American West and, particularly, Los Angeles. Her past professional work has focused on historic preservation, primarily in California; it includes a variety of different preservation planning efforts, from conducting surveys to preparing historic structures reports, architectural assessments, and national register nominations to contributing to environmental impact reports. When not teaching at Cal Poly Pomona, her other role is Cultural Resources Program Manager for the National Park Service at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
